Final answer:
The false statement is that Earth's tectonic plates have remained stationary over time, as they are actually in constant motion, altering the planet's surface and cooling the planet by transferring heat from the interior.
Step-by-step explanation:
Earth's tectonic plates have remained stationary over time.
Tectonic plates are part of the Earth's lithosphere, which includes the crust and the uppermost rigid portion of the mantle. These plates have not stayed fixed; they are in constant motion over the planet's surface due to mantle convection, which is a process driven by internal heat. The plates cover Earth's molten iron core and move in various ways, such as sliding past one another, colliding, or moving apart, at rates that can be likened to the speed at which fingernails grow.
The boundaries where these plates meet are known as regions of intense geological activity, often marked by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. This is because the interactions between plates, such as subduction, collision, sliding, or pulling apart, dynamically reshape the Earth's surface. Tectonic plates also vary significantly in size and shape as they are not perfectly symmetrical; some are curved or segmented due to Earth being a sphere. Furthermore, their existence and movement allow Earth to cool and transport heat from the interior to the outer space, similar to a cooling system.