Plate Tectonics

The earthquake and ensuing tsunami in Japan were a result of plate tectonics, or large scale movement of the Earth’s crust. The major plates are African, Antarctic, Australian, Eurasian, Indian, North American, South American, and Pacific. The minor plates (of which there can be many) include Arabian, Caribbean, Juan De Fuca, Cocos, Nazca, Philippine, and Scotia. Click the map for a larger image.