Plate Tectonics and Landforms

Volcanic Island Arc

A chain of volcanoes that form when an oceanic plate subducts underneath another oceanic plate.

Convergent Boundaries

A convergent boundary, also known as a destructive plate boundary (because of subduction), is an actively deforming region where two (or more) tectonic plates move toward one another and collide.

Transform Boundaries

A transform boundary or conservative boundary, (also called a transform fault,) is where two of the tectonic plates slide alongside each other. When this happens, the scraping of the two plates causes earthquakes.

Mid-ocean ridge

An undersea mountain chain where new ocean floor is produced, occurs at a divergent plate boundary between oceanic plates.

Ocean Trenches

Deepest landform found on the ocean floor. They are created along convergent boundaries where one plate is subducted under another tectonic plate. Here, the Puerto Rico Trench.

Divergent boundaries

Divergent plate boundaries are locations where plates are moving away from one another.

Fault Lines

Large fractures in the earth's crust along which movement occurs during earthquakes.

Rift Valley

Long, narrow depression formed at divergent boundaries between continental plates.

Folded Mountains

Mountains formed when two plates carrying continental crust collide, deforming the rocks and earth with great force.

Plate Boundaries

Plate boundaries are locations where two tectonic plates meet. There are three different types of plate boundaries: divergent boundaries, convergent boundaries, and transform boundaries.

Subduction

Subduction is a geological term for one of Earth's tectonic plates sinking under another. When this happens, we can get earthquakes, volcanoes, and a recycling of Earth's rocks.

Ring of Fire

The Ring of Fire is a string of underwater volcanoes and earthquake sites around the edges of the Pacific Ocean.

Continental-Continental Convergence

This type of boundary happens where two continental plates collide and push up creating mountain ranges.

Oceanic-Continental Convergence

This type of convergent boundary happens where an oceanic plate and a continental plate push together causing the oceanic plate to be forced under the continental plate into the mantle because the oceanic plate is thinner. This is called a subduction.

Oceanic-Oceanic Convergence

This type of convergent boundary happens where two oceanic plates push against one another, causing the colder, denser, older plate to buckle up and sink into the mantle. Hot magma comes from where the plate sank, creating new crust.