Tectonic Plate Boundaries
Tectonic plate boundaries are zones where plates interact, generating geological features such as mountains, trenches, volcanoes, and earthquakes depending on the type of movement.
What You Need to Know
Key Concept Diagram
Convergent boundaries occur where plates collide, forming mountain ranges or ocean trenches
Divergent boundaries occur where plates move apart, creating mid-ocean ridges and rift valleys
Transform boundaries occur where plates slide horizontally past each other, generating earthquakes
Subduction zones form where a denser oceanic plate is forced beneath a less dense continental plate
Key Vocabulary
Convergent Boundary
A plate boundary where two plates move towards each other, often resulting in subduction or mountain formation
Divergent Boundary
A plate boundary where two plates move apart, allowing magma to rise and form new crust
Transform Boundary
A plate boundary where two plates slide horizontally past each other, frequently causing earthquakes
Subduction
The process by which a denser tectonic plate is forced beneath another plate into the mantle
Knowledge Check
Select the correct answer for each question. Click "Check Answer" to see if you are right.
Question 1
The Himalayas were formed by which type of plate boundary?
Question 2
At a mid-ocean ridge, what type of boundary is present?
Question 3
The San Andreas Fault in California is associated with which boundary type?
Key Concepts Summary
- ●Convergent boundaries occur where plates collide, forming mountain ranges or ocean trenches
- ●Divergent boundaries occur where plates move apart, creating mid-ocean ridges and rift valleys
- ●Transform boundaries occur where plates slide horizontally past each other, generating earthquakes
- ●Subduction zones form where a denser oceanic plate is forced beneath a less dense continental plate