By Sean Daley and Brendan Loney

Convergent Boundaries  When two tectonic plates collide, the boundary in which they meet is called a convergent boundary.  The result of a convergent boundary depends on what kind of crust- oceanic or continental- the leading edge that each plate has.  There are three types of convergent boundary collisions: Continental/ Continental, Continental/ Oceanic, and Oceanic/ Oceanic.

Convergent Boundaries: Continental/ Continental  When two tectonic plates with continental crust collide, they collapse and thicken, pushing the crust upward. In turn, this creates a mountain or mountain range, such as the Himalayas.

Convergent Boundaries: Continental/ Oceanic  When continental crust collides with oceanic crust, the oceanic plate slides under the continental plate, forming the subduction zone. In turn, it creates displacement, pushing the magma upward creating a volcano. This is the subduction zone

Convergent boundaries: Oceanic/ Oceanic  This collision is very similar to the continental/ continental collision. When two plates with oceanic crust collide, one plate gets pushed under the other, forming a subduction zone. Just as the continental/ oceanic collision does, this pushes up magma, creating a volcano. This is the subduction zone

Divergent Boundaries  When two plates move away from each other, the boundary between them is called a divergent boundary. Divergent boundaries occur where new oceanic lithosphere forms. The most common types of divergent boundaries are the mid-ocean ridges. However, they can also be found in countries, such as Iceland.

Transform Boundaries  When two tectonic plates slide past each other horizontally, it creates a transform boundary, such as the San Andreas Fault in California. These two forces create friction, and eventually these plates shift, causing earthquakes.

The End!