Plate Boundaries

The Plates of the earth The Earth’s crust is made up of plates. The plates move in specific directions. The three directions that the plates move are labeled in relation to their boundaries.

Plates move toward each other. Convergent Boundary Plates move toward each other.

Continental – continental convergent boundary Mountains and volcanoes form

Oceanic – oceanic convergent boundary Ocean trenches form and sometimes underwater volcanoes and islands

Oceanic – continental convergent boundary Volcanoes form on the continental crust

Subduction zone This is when one tectonic plate sinks beneath the other. Usually the weaker plate sinks.

The plates move away from each other. Divergent Boundary The plates move away from each other.

Oceanic – oceanic divergent boundary Mid Ocean Ridge Forms

Continental – continental divergent boundary

The plates slip past each other. Transform Boundary The plates slip past each other.

Continental – continental transform boundary Earthquakes occur

Oceanic – oceanic transform boundary Earthquakes and possible tsunamis