Tectonic Plates
Tectonic plates are pieces of the lithosphere that move around on top of the asthenosphere. They look basically like a big jigsaw puzzle. Also, tectonic plates "float" on the asthenosphere. They can look like giant ice cubes floating in a glass of water. The plates cover the asthenosphere's surface and they touch one another as well as move around. Thick tectonic plates displace more asthenosphere than the thinner plates. All of the tectonic plates have names and those names usually correspond with their location on a map. Not all tectonic plates are the same and their sizes vary. Tectonic plates are always moving and they make up parts of the Earth's crust. (Holt Science and Technology Earth Science pages 194-195)
(Picture above was found on http://www.maps.com/ref_map.aspx?pid=12871)
(Very top picture was found on http://www.learner.org/interactives/dynamicearth/plate.html)
(Picture above was found on http://www.maps.com/ref_map.aspx?pid=12871)
(Very top picture was found on http://www.learner.org/interactives/dynamicearth/plate.html)