Exploratour - The Surface of the Earth
The Plates of the Earth
The lithosphere and crust are divided into many plates . The many plates are shown in the image to the left. Complete labels for the plates can be seen by clicking on this picture.
Both continental crust and oceanic crust can be part of a single plate. For example the Pacific plate contains the Pacific Ocean floor as well as part of the North American continent.
The plates move around on the surface of the Earth.
Last modified August 17, 2006 by Lisa Gardiner.