Disciplines

Tectonophysics

tek-TON-oh-FIZ-iks

Geophysical Science

Citation Formats

General Reference

Earth and Environment Atlas. "Tectonophysics." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://earth.interactiveatlas.org/disciplines/tectonophysics.

APA Style

Earth and Environment Atlas. (n.d.). Tectonophysics. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://earth.interactiveatlas.org/disciplines/tectonophysics

BibTeX

@misc{earthandenvironmentatlas-tectonophysics,
  author = {Earth and Environment Atlas},
  title = {Tectonophysics},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://earth.interactiveatlas.org/disciplines/tectonophysics},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

A branch of geophysics studying the physical processes underlying tectonic deformation, including measurement or calculation of stress and strain fields on the Earth's surface and the rheologies of the crust, mantle, lithosphere and asthenosphere. It covers crustal movements and deformations from meters to thousands of kilometers, governing processes such as the destruction of continental and oceanic crust, mantle convection, continental drift and other effects of plate tectonics.

Facts

Central Question

Tectonophysics is a branch of geophysics specializing in the study of the physical processes underlying tectonic deformation, including the stress and strain fields of the Earth and the rheology of its crust, mantle, lithosphere and asthenosphere. 1

Scope

Tectonophysics studies the physical processes that drive plate motion and deformation, applying physics and mechanics to the behavior of the lithosphere and mantle. 1

Significance

Tectonophysics models the forces behind earthquakes, mountain building and plate motion, linking geodetic and seismic observations to their physical causes. 1

Cross-Tradition Connections