Tectonics: plate boundaries in 3D

Tectonics is a free classroom tool with 3D block diagrams you can play, scrub and slice open: subduction, collision, divergent boundaries, transform faults and hot spots.

Watch millions of years of plate motion, with earthquakes, volcanoes and magma
Slice the block open to see the crust, mantle and slab
Make worksheets with answer keys
Download STL files for 3D printing and USDZ files for AR

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Subduction

Time

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Plate speed

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Moved

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Quakes

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What the colours are

0.0Myr

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Stages

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Real place

Cross-section

Surface and crust along the section

the ground crust base (Moho) sea level

Tectonics · free for classrooms · made by Mike SammartanoPrivacy

Real examples

Motion

This boundary

Slice and relief

Slide the cut to move the cross-section through the block. Relief is stretched so mountains and trenches show; the deep layers keep their true scale, with crust drawn a little thicker than real.

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Surface and crust along the section

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