Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. David Bressan is a geologist who covers curiosities about Earth. Based on a series of models considering how the continents were ...

The Earth is made up of different layers: Therefore, instead of tectonic plates moving because of the convection currents, evidence suggests it is the plates that drive the convection. Slab pull ...

One explanation for plate movements is slab pull. Plates are extremely heavy so gravity acts upon them, pulling them apart. Alternatively, as shown in the diagram, convection currents under the ...

A gravity gradient model of the central Indian Ocean shows the junction of the African tectonic plate (left), the Indo-Australian plate (right) and the Antarctic plate (bottom). Credit: Scripps ...

New scientific models mapping the Earth’s tectonic plates could help to sharpen our collective understanding of natural disasters like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, scientists have said. The ...

A GAP of 500 million years in our understanding of Earth’s history has been solved. This map gives us unparalleled insight into the missing millenia. To unravel this incredible history, scientists use ...

Scientists have identified a long-lost tectonic plate in the west Pacific Ocean. Called Pontus, the 'mega-plate' was once 15 million square miles, about a quarter the size of the Pacific Ocean today.