Billions of years ago, the surface of the Earth was a sea of lava.

As this boiling magma gradually cooled, it formed rocky crusts in which denser minerals coalesced in the planet's interior, while less dense minerals rose to the surface.

Geophysicist Catherine Rychert says, "This is how plates form on the surface of the Earth."

The plates collide, separate, and rub against each other, so rift valleys and mountains form, and volcanoes and earthquakes erupt.

How many such plates are there on Earth's surface?

The answer to this question varies depending on the angle of observation, ranging from a dozen to nearly 100.

According to current scientific understanding, the Earth consists of approximately seven major tectonic plates.

These plates are extensive, ranging in size from a few hundred to thousands of kilometers in diameter.

The seven major plates are the Pacific Plate, North American Plate, Eurasian Plate, African Plate, Antarctic Plate, Indo-Australian Plate, and the South American Plate.

In addition to these major plates, there are several smaller plates known as minor or microplates. These minor plates are typically located in areas where major plates interact.

Minor plates, such as the Arabian Plate, Caribbean Plate, and Philippine Sea Plate, play a crucial role in shaping specific regions by causing localized geological activities. While the existence of seven major plates is widely accepted, the exact number of microplates is more challenging to determine due to their smaller size and less prominent geological impacts.

Some scientists estimate that there may be dozens of minor plates on Earth, while others suggest that the number could exceed a hundred. The identification and classification of these smaller plates depend on their size, distinct boundaries, and measurable movements.

It's important to note that tectonic plates are not fixed entities, but rather constantly moving and undergoing various interactions.

They interact with each other along their boundaries in three primary ways: convergent boundaries, where plates collide; divergent boundaries, where plates separate; and transform boundaries, where plates slide past each other horizontally.

The movement and interaction of tectonic plates drive the Earth's geological processes such as the formation of mountains, the creation of oceanic trenches, and the occurrence of earthquakes and volcanic activity.

For example, when two plates collide at a convergent boundary, one plate may subduct beneath the other, leading to the formation of a volcanic arc. Similarly, when plates separate at a divergent boundary, magma rises to the surface, creating new crust and causing seafloor spreading.