theory describing the movement of lithospheric plates on Earth's asthenosphere
driven by mantle convection, ridge push, and slab pull
three boundary types: divergent (spreading), convergent (collision/subduction), transform (sliding)
divergent boundaries create mid-ocean ridges and new crust
convergent boundaries build mountains, island arcs, and deep trenches
transform boundaries produce earthquakes along fault lines
responsible for volcano formation, continent drift, and mountain building
the Himalayas formed from the Indian plate colliding with the Eurasian plate
the Ring of Fire encircles the Pacific with subduction zones
cycling of crust connects to the carbon cycle through volcanic outgassing and weathering