PLATE

TECTONICS

Carlos Velasco
Rebecca Hewson
Kaushalie Ranaweera

TEKS
Grade 8
ESS.10E
Distinguish the location, type, and
relative motion of convergent,
divergent, and transform plate
boundaries using evidence from the
distribution of earthquakes and
volcanoes

Objectives
1. Identify boundary types & their
characteristics
2. Predict the type boundary as
convergent and divergent using the
landform/earth processes associated
with each

Ring of Fire

Ring of Fire
Most active area for volcanoes &
earthquakes
Home to:
75% of the worlds volcanoes (dormant &

active)
90% of the worlds earthquakes

Definitions
Divergent Boundary
boundary between 2 crustal plates
moving AWAY from each other

Definitions
Convergent Boundary
boundary between 2 crustal plates
moving TOWARD each other

Definitions
Transform Boundary
boundary between 2 crustal plates
SLIDING AGAINST each other

Plate Boundaries

POP QUIZ
Divergent
Convergent
Boundary Transform Boundary
Boundary

Types of Crustal
Plates
Oceanic crust crust that is under
water
Continental crust crust that is
under land

Divergent Plate
Boundaries
Occur when two plates are moving
AWAY from each other
Two different types:
1. oceanic / oceanic
2. continental / continental

Oceanic / Oceanic

Continental /
Continental

Divergent Plate
Boundaries

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=ryrXAGY1dmE

Divergent Boundary
Oceanic / oceanic plates move
away from each other and allows for
magma to reach the surface, cool
quickly and harden

Divergent Boundary
Oceanic / Oceanic magma & mantle
rocks rising up, water fills in eventually
creating a new ocean basin

Divergent Boundary
Continental / continental magma &
mantle rocks rising up causing the
continent to crack and split apart
forming a rift valley

Divergent Boundary

Divergent Boundary
Landforms / Earth
Processes
Oceanic / oceanic creates
mid ocean ridges, oceanic
crust and seafloor
spreading (Mid Atlantic
Ridge)
Continental / continental
creates rifts (African Rift
Valley)

Convergent Plate
Boundaries
Occur when plates are moving
TOWARDS each other
Three different types:
1. Oceanic / continental
2. Oceanic /oceanic
3. Continental / continental

Convergent Boundary
Oceanic / continental 2 plates crash against
each other and the more dense oceanic crust is
forced downward, a process called subduction,
causing friction and heat.

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Convergent
Oceanic /oceanic the force of their movement
toward each other causes subduction to occur,
and just like the first example, volcanoes are
created

Convergent Boundary
Continental / Continental because the
2 plates are of similar densities, when they
crash together there is no subduction,
instead mountain ranges are formed

Convergent
Boundaries
Landforms / Earth Processes
Oceanic / oceanic creates volcanic
islands (Japan)
Oceanic / continental creates volcanic
arcs and earthquakes (Cascade Mountain
Range)
Continental / continental creates
mountain ranges (Himalayas)
Home to 75% of worlds volcanoes and 90%

Transform Plate
Boundaries
Occurs when plates SLIDE AGAINST
each other
Two different types:
1. Continental / continental
2. Oceanic / oceanic

Transform Boundary
Continental / continental relieve
strain by transporting between ridges
Oceanic / oceanic fracture zones
divergent plate boundaries create new
crustal rock which gets stretched and
tends to slip to either side

Transform Boundary

Transform Boundaries
Landforms / Earth Processes
Continental / continental Friction
of grinding causes very powerful
earthquakes (San Andreas Fault)
Oceanic / oceanic fracture zones
under the water at most divergent
plate boundaries
Only shallow earthquakes

Example of All
Boundaries

Lets Practice
Convergent plate boundary
Home to 75% of worlds volcanoes
Home to 90% of worlds earthquakes
Divergent plate boundary
Home to less than 25% of worlds
volcanoes
Home to less than 10% of worlds
earthquakes
Formation of new crustal rocks

Distribution of Earthquakes

Plate Boundaries

Distribution of Volcanoes

Plate Boundaries

Enrichment
Volcanoes and earthquakes occur
along plate boundaries. But some
volcanoes are found within the
plate. Why ?
The world earthquake map shows
seismicity within the plate. Can you
explain?

Bibliography
Geology for Dummies by Alecia
Spooner, 2011
http://regentsearth.com/
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/gl
ossary/?termID=150
http://geography.about.com/cs/earthq
uakes/a/ringoffire.htm
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/un
derstanding.html#
anchor19173262