Global Warming Today - Plate tectonics

Earth's outermost layer is called the lithosphere, it is divided in to 7 large, rigid plates: the African, North American, South American, Eurasian, Australian, Antarctic, and Pacific plates. Several minor plates also exist, including the Arabian, Nazca, and Philippines plates.

The plates are all constantly shifting in differing directions they are also shifting at differing speeds (from 2 cm to 10 cm per year-) when they collide with each other which the frequently do it can cause earthquakes and volcanoes. Where two plates meet is called the plate boundaries there are there main types.

Convergent Boundaries, where two plates crash into each other this can create mountains.
Divergent Boundaries, where two plates pull apart from each other.
Transform Boundaries where two boundaries move past each other.

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