The Unique Reason Earth Has Plate Tectonics

Plate tectonics are responsible for diverse surface features such as mountain-building, earthquakes, and volcanoes on Earth. However, no other known planet possesses plate tectonics. Mars and Venus are single-plate planets, while Mercury has no separate crustal layer. Europa, Jupiter's ice-covered moon, exhibits evidence for ice-plate tectonics. The geological features and scientific data observed and taken by New Horizons indicate a subsurface ocean beneath Pluto's surface, encircling the entire planet, which may have plate-like behavior. The combined effects of Earth's internal heat and large amounts of liquid water allow the lithosphere to fragment into plates that slide over one another, collide, and spread apart.