Tectonic Plates in Relation to the UK

What are tectonic plates and why are they important? 

Tectonic plates are segments of the earth that are primarily continental and oceanic floor, and they move because they lie on top of softer and moving rock. Hot rock just below the surface rises and when it cools and gets heavy, it sinks again. Depending on the direction the plate is moving in, it can collide with other tectonic plates and create earthquakes, volcanoes, and new land (ex: mountains, islands, etc.) Although these naturally occurring disasters don’t please humans as it creates situations that might destroy their property or take lives, it is not something that we can control, but it is something we can predict. 

The boundaries that separate each tectonic plate give clues as to where it is most likely that these natural disasters will occur based on their placement and past volcanic/ earthquake activity. This can be seen most easily in the NOAA map below. 

Do tectonic plate boundaries affect the UK?

The United Kingdom is not currently on a tectonically active area, meaning it is not close enough to a tectonic plate boundary (as displayed on the picture below with the UK circled in red) to be in significant danger due to volcanic or earthquake activity. That does not mean that this nation has no past of such natural disasters, however. It is believed that the land modernly recognized as the UK was once closer to the South Pole and due to tectonic activity, it is now much closer to the Northern Hemisphere.