1. Types of Plate Boundaries

2. Types of Plate Boundaries
Scientists identify the boundaries between two plates by the plate movement.
There are three types of plate boundaries:
Divergent
Convergent
Transform

3. Why do Plates Move? Convection currents in the mantle
Cause plates to collide, pull apart or slide
Material in mantle is heated floats to surface
as it cools it moves back towards the core

4. Divergent Boundaries
A divergent boundary is a boundary where two plates are moving away from each other.

5. Divergent Boundaries This is an example of a divergent boundary.
Bridge across the Alfagaria Rift Valley in southwest Iceland, that is part of the boundary between the Eurasian and North American continental tectonic plates.

6. Divergent Boundaries
A Rift Valley is a deep valley located on divergent boundaries.
Remember the mid-ocean ridge? The middle part of the mid-ocean ridge is called a rift valley.
Rift = crack
Seafloor spreading
occurs at divergent
boundaries

7. Divergent Boundaries
As divergent boundaries widen rift valleys form and create new crust from magma that makes its way to the surface.
As lava builds up it forms underwater mountain ranges .
Ex. Mid-Atlantic Ridge

8. Convergent Boundaries
A Convergent Boundary is a boundary between two plates that are moving toward each other.

9. Types of Convergent Boundaries
1.Continental/Continental-
Two plates run into each other and crumble. Folded mountains are created.
ex. Himalayas
2.Oceanic/Continental-
Crust collide, and trenches are formed in the ocean floor. Melted rock from the subducted plate begins to move upward fueling volcanoes.
ex. Andes Mountains
3.Oceanic/Oceanic-
Plate is subducted beneath another plate along a
trench as a result underwater volcanic mountains erupt.
ex. Aleutian Island

10. Convergent Boundaries
One important feature is a deep-sea trench. These form along the subduction zone.
Subduction Boundary – When an oceanic plate plunges beneath another plate it is said to be sub-ducting beneath the overriding plate. This boundary between the two plates is a subduction boundary. Ex. Andes Mountains
These boundaries can occur between two ocean plates or and ocean and continental plate.

11. Convergent Boundaries
Collision Boundary – The boundary that forms when two continents collide is called a collision boundary.
Mountain ranges are usually formed along such boundaries.

12. The Himalayan Mountains are an example of a collision boundary.

13. Transform Boundary
A Transform Boundary is a boundary between two plates that are sliding past each other.
Fault- break in Earth’s crust

14. Transform Boundaries
Movement along transform boundaries is not uniform and can sometimes cause earthquakes.
The San Andreas Fault in North America is an example of a Transform Boundary.

15. Three Types of Boundaries