How many tectonic plates are there on earth?

A good earth's tectonic plates map will outline the seven primary tectonic plates, but it may not show the entire picture. This is because plate tectonics encompasses a more detailed study than just the major plates. read more

Just as there is no consensus about whether the Nazca Plate is a primary or secondary plate, there is no agreement about exactly how many tertiary plates there are, but scientists have identified about 58 of them. read more

There are seven primary tectonic plates in the world, but there are also seven secondary plates and sixty tertiary plates, for a grand total of more than seventy tectonic plates. Each tectonic plate is approximate 60 miles thick and composed primarily of either continental crust or oceanic crust. read more

There are seven major tectonic plates on the planet that are further subdivided into dozens of smaller plates. Geologists do not always agree on how to subdivide the minor plates. Each plate is in motion relative to the other plates. read more