Plate Boundaries

• A plate boundary is the area where two tectonic plates meet.
• The type of plate boundary influences the geological features found there as well as what happens to the crust.

Divergent Boundary

• This is where two tectonic plates move apart.
• Mid-ocean ridges and rift valleys are visible at these boundaries.
• An example is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
• Magma rises at divergent boundaries, creating new crust.

Continental-Continental Convergent Boundary

• This occurs when two continental plates collide.
• Big mountains are formed here.
• The Himalayas are an example.
• The land is pushed up into tall mountains.

Continental-Oceanic Convergent Boundary

• This happens when an oceanic plate goes under a continental plate.
• Deep ocean trenches and volcanoes are visible.
• The Andes Mountains are an example.
• The ocean plate sinks and melts, causing volcanic eruptions.

Oceanic-Oceanic Convergent Boundary

• This is where two oceanic plates collide.
• Island arcs and deep trenches are formed.
• The Mariana Islands are an example.
• The older plate sinks, creating volcanoes.

Transform Boundary

• This is where two plates slide past each other.
• Fault lines and earthquakes occur here.
• The San Andreas Fault is an example.
• The crust gets stuck, then slips, causing earthquakes.

Hot Spots

• This is a place in the middle of a tectonic plate where hot lava creates volcanoes.
• The Hawaiian Islands are an example.

Plate Map Example

• The South American Plate and African Plate move apart at a divergent boundary.
• This forms the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.