<P> Plate tectonics ( from the Late Latin tectonicus , from the Greek : τεκτονικός `` pertaining to building '' ) is a scientific theory describing the large - scale motion of seven large plates and the movements of a larger number of smaller plates of the Earth 's lithosphere , since tectonic processes began on Earth between 3 and 3.5 billion years ago . The model builds on the concept of continental drift , an idea developed during the first decades of the 20th century . The geoscientific community accepted plate - tectonic theory after seafloor spreading was validated in the late 1950s and early 1960s . </P>
<P> Plate tectonics ( from the Late Latin tectonicus , from the Greek : τεκτονικός `` pertaining to building '' ) is a scientific theory describing the large - scale motion of seven large plates and the movements of a larger number of smaller plates of the Earth 's lithosphere , since tectonic processes began on Earth between 3 and 3.5 billion years ago . The model builds on the concept of continental drift , an idea developed during the first decades of the 20th century . The geoscientific community accepted plate - tectonic theory after seafloor spreading was validated in the late 1950s and early 1960s . </P>
where are tectonic plates located in the earth
where are tectonic plates located in the earth
the Earth 's lithosphere
the Earth 's lithosphere