Final answer:
The 'giant jigsaw puzzle' of interlocking pieces that makes up Earth's crust is known as tectonic plates. They consist of both oceanic and continental crust and are moved by mantle convection.
Step-by-step explanation:
The interlocking pieces that make up Earth's crust are called tectonic plates. Earth's crust and upper mantle (to a depth of about 60 kilometers) are divided into these plates which fit together much like a giant jigsaw puzzle. They are part of the lithosphere, which includes the crust in two forms: oceanic and continental crust.
Oceanic crust covers 55% of Earth's surface and is mostly submerged under the oceans, being around 6 kilometers thick and primarily composed of basalt, a volcanic rock. In contrast, the continental crust accounts for 45% of the surface and varies in thickness from 20 to 70 kilometers, mainly consisting of granite, another type of volcanic rock.
The movement and interactions of tectonic plates are driven by convection in the mantle, where heat from Earth's interior causes warmer material to rise and cooler material to sink. This movement is responsible for many geological formations and phenomena on our planet.