The outer layer or crust of the Earth consists of about a dozen large, irregularly shaped plates that slide over, under, and past each other on top of the partly molten inner layer. |
![dynamic planet map](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20120925225848im_/http://www.usgs.gov/visitors/images/dplanet.jpg) |
![friction between tectonic plates](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20120925225848im_/http://www.usgs.gov/visitors/images/quake.gif) |
Most earthquakes occur at the boundaries where the plates meet. In fact, the locations of earthquakes and the kinds of ruptures they produce help scientists define the plate boundaries. |
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