GCSE Geography - The Restless Earth - Tectonic plates

Core - A ball of solid iron and nickel at the centre of the Earth

Mantle - Semi-molten rock around the core that moves very slowly

Crust - Very thin (about 20km) outer layer of the Earth

Tectonic Plates

The crust is divided into slabs called tectonic plates (they float on the mantle). There are two types of crust - continental and oceanic:

• Continental crust is thicker and less dense
• Oceanic crust is thinner and more dense

The plates are moving due to convection currents in the mantle. The places where the plates…