Book 12, Question 54
How Fast Do Tectonic Plates Move?
Tectonic plates move about as fast as your fingernails grow! That is around 2 to 10 centimeters a year. It is slow, but slow and steady can move whole continents.
More fun facts
- Tectonic plates move at roughly the same speed your fingernails grow.
- Land masses move toward or away from each other at about 1.5 centimeters (0.6 inches) a year on average.
- Coastal California moves fast for a plate, almost 5 centimeters (2 inches) a year.
- Each plate moves at its own speed and in its own direction.
- Scientists can measure today's plate speeds very precisely.
Sources: U.S. Geological Survey, NOAA Ocean Service, U.S. Geological Survey
Questions kids ask
Can I feel the plates moving?
No. They move only a few centimeters a year, about as fast as fingernails grow.