TECTONIC PLATE Earth mass that moves beneath the surface of the planet, thanks to tremendous pressures to which they are permanently exposed by the actions and reactions of the core and other layers They are of hard material and there are 15 larger in size and about 40 smaller in size. These plates collide with each other, producing earthquakes. In Chile and Peru, the Nazca plate collides with the South American plate, introducing each other, with serious consequences for surface structures.
