The Relationship Between Igneous Rocks & Tectonic Plates
Igneous rocks are formed from the cooling and solidification of magma. Magma is molten rock that originates in the Earth's mantle. Tectonic plates are large slabs of rock that float on the Earth's mantle. The movement of tectonic plates can create conditions that are favorable for the formation of igneous rocks.
Igneous Rocks
Let's say you're on a scavenger hunt and the last item you need to find is an igneous rock. You learned that igneous rocks are rocks that form from the cooling and solidifying of magma or lava, which is the name given to magma that reaches the surface of the earth and the stuff you think of flowing down the side of a volcano.
Armed with this knowledge you might hop on a plane and fly to the closest active volcanic mountain to hunt for an igneous rock.
General Classification of Igneous Rocks
Well, this would be one option open to you, but did you know that igneous rocks can also be found at the bottom of the ocean as well as deep underground? This is because igneous rock formation is linked to the movement of tectonic plates. we will learn more about tectonic plates and how their movements lead to the formation of igneous rocks.

Tectonic Plates
So let's start by making sure we understand what tectonic plates are. There is a theory, called plate tectonics, which states that the Earth's crust is broken up into plates. In other words, if you were to strip everything off of the Earth's surface and drain all of the water, the remaining shell of the planet would look like it was cracked, much like the fractures that happen when you crack the shell of a hardboiled egg.
The plate-like sections of earth's crust are called tectonic plates.
These massive tectonic plates are able to move and they basically float on top of the hot, deep layers of the earth. These hot, deep layers are where we see magma forming. As these plates float around, they interact with each other. They can either get closer together or drift apart, and this tectonic plate movement gives us the right conditions for the formation of igneous rocks.
What's the difference between an active and passive continental margin?
Igneous Rocks
Let's say you're on a scavenger hunt and the last item you need to find is an igneous rock. You learned that igneous rocks are rocks that form from the cooling and solidifying of magma or lava, which is the name given to magma that reaches the surface of the earth and the stuff you think of flowing down the side of a volcano.
Armed with this knowledge you might hop on a plane and fly to the closest active volcanic mountain to hunt for an igneous rock.
Well, this would be one option open to you, but did you know that igneous rocks can also be found at the bottom of the ocean as well as deep underground? This is because igneous rock formation is linked to the movement of tectonic plates. we will learn more about tectonic plates and how their movements lead to the formation of igneous rocks.

Tectonic Plates
So let's start by making sure we understand what tectonic plates are. There is a theory, called plate tectonics, which states that the Earth's crust is broken up into plates. In other words, if you were to strip everything off of the Earth's surface and drain all of the water, the remaining shell of the planet would look like it was cracked, much like the fractures that happen when you crack the shell of a hardboiled egg.
The plate-like sections of earth's crust are called tectonic plates.
These massive tectonic plates are able to move and they basically float on top of the hot, deep layers of the earth. These hot, deep layers are where we see magma forming. As these plates float around, they interact with each other. They can either get closer together or drift apart, and this tectonic plate movement gives us the right conditions for the formation of igneous rocks.
What's the difference between an active and passive continental margin?