What Are Continental Plates?
Last Updated Apr 11, 2020 11:54:04 PM ET
Continental plates are tectonic plates that lie under surface land masses. Tectonic plates are parts of the planet's crust that lie far below the sea around the world, and there are two types of plates: continental plates and oceanic plates. Note that some plates run under the ocean, and the continents as defined by geography.
The tectonic plates of the Earth are constantly moving and pushing against each other. Depending on how they border each other and how they move, they can form land masses like volcanoes and plateaus. As plates move, they can also move and alter existing land masses, which is why the continents as we know them are constantly moving small amounts each year.
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