Plate Boundaries Types of Plate Boundaries: Divergent Boundaries: Plates move apart. Example: Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Convergent Boundaries: Plates move towards each other. Example: Hi... Plate Boundaries Types of Plate Boundaries: Divergent Boundaries: Plates move apart. Example: Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Convergent Boundaries: Plates move towards each other. Example: Himalayas. Transform Boundaries: Plates slide past each other. Example: San Andreas Fault. Processes at Plate Boundaries: Earthquakes: Common at all types of boundaries. Volcanoes: Mostly at convergent and divergent boundaries. Mountain Building: Typically at convergent boundaries. Faults and Earthquakes Types of Faults: Normal Faults: Caused by tension, where the hanging wall moves down. Reverse Faults: Caused by compression, where the hanging wall moves up. Strike-Slip Faults: Caused by shearing, where rocks slide past each other horizontally. Earthquake Terminology: Focus: The point inside the Earth where the earthquake starts. Epicenter: The point on the Earth’s surface directly above the focus. Magnitude: Measure of the energy released, often measured by the Richter scale. Seismograph: Instrument that records seismic waves. Seismic Waves Types of Seismic Waves: Primary Waves (P-Waves): Fastest, travel through solids, liquids, and gases. Secondary Waves (S-Waves): Slower than P-waves, travel only through solids. Surface Waves: Slowest, cause the most damage, travel along the Earth’s surface. Volcanoes Types of Volcanoes: Shield Volcanoes: Broad, gently sloping, formed by low-viscosity lava. Composite Volcanoes (Stratovolcanoes): Steep, explosive eruptions, alternating layers of lava and ash. Cinder Cone Volcanoes: Small, steep, formed from tephra. Volcanic Hazards: Lava Flows: Molten rock flowing from a volcano. Ash Falls: Volcanic ash falling from the sky. Pyroclastic Flows: Fast-moving currents of hot gas and volcanic matter. Magma Chamber: A large underground pool of molten rock beneath the Earth’s crust. Main Vent: The primary outlet through which magma escapes to the surface. Throat: The uppermost section of the main vent. Crater: A bowl-shaped depression at the top of the volcano, formed by explosive activity. Conduit: A passage through which magma travels to reach the surface. Lava Flow: Molten rock that flows out of a volcano during an eruption. Ash Cloud: A cloud of ash formed during explosive volcanic eruptions. Secondary Vent: Smaller outlets on the sides of a volcano where magma can also escape. Secondary Cone: Smaller cones formed by eruptions from secondary vents. Eruption Column: A towering plume of ash, gas, and volcanic material ejected into the atmosphere. Lava Dome: A mound formed when lava is too viscous to flow far from the vent. Fumaroles: Openings in the Earth’s crust that emit steam and gases. Sills: Horizontal intrusions of magma that solidify between layers of rock. Dikes: Vertical or steeply inclined intrusions of magma that cut through existing rock layers. Caldera: A large, basin-like depression formed when a volcano collapses into itself, often following a major eruption. Lahar: A destructive mudflow on the slopes of a volcano, typically composed of volcanic ash mixed with water.
Understand the Problem
The text provides a detailed overview of geological concepts related to plate boundaries, faults, earthquakes, seismic waves, and volcanoes, describing their types, processes, and terminology.
Answer
Divergent, convergent, and transform boundaries are the main types of plate boundaries.
The three main types of plate boundaries are divergent, convergent, and transform boundaries. Divergent boundaries involve plates moving apart, convergent boundaries involve plates moving towards each other, and transform boundaries involve plates sliding past each other.
Answer for screen readers
The three main types of plate boundaries are divergent, convergent, and transform boundaries. Divergent boundaries involve plates moving apart, convergent boundaries involve plates moving towards each other, and transform boundaries involve plates sliding past each other.
More Information
At divergent boundaries, new crust is generated as plates pull away from each other, such as at mid-ocean ridges. At convergent boundaries, crust is destroyed as one plate dives under another, leading to mountain building or volcanic activity. Transform boundaries are characterized by lateral movement, often causing earthquakes.
Tips
A common mistake is confusing the types of boundaries with the geological processes they cause, such as associating all earthquakes only with convergent boundaries.
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