Tectonic Plate Boundaries

Ring of Fire

An area that is surrounding the Pacific Ocean that is comprised of multiple chains of volcanic islands. This area also has an abundance of volcanic activity.

Divergent

Areas where plates move away from each other, forming either mid oceanic ridges or rift valleys.

Convergent

Areas where plates move toward each other and collide, causing uplift.

Transform

Areas where two plates grind past each other resulting in faults such as the San Andreas. Earthquakes often occur at fault lines.

Rift Zones

An area in the middle of a continental plate where the plate is beginning to separate. A large valley will form in the area as the crust thins.

Fault

A crack in the Earth's crust where rocks slide past one another. Different types of faults may form based on direction of plate movement (divergent, convergent, and transform).

Trench

A deep depression of the sea floor caused by the subduction of one plate under another

Earthquakes

Caused when two transform plates slide past each other.

Subduction Zone

Convergent boundary where an oceanic plate is pushed beneath a continental plate forming a trench. The oceanic crust melts resulting in the formation of volcanoes.

Convection Currents

Currents driven by rising hot substances and sinking cool substances. Found in the Earth's mantle. These convection currents move the tectonic plates.

Mountains

Formed when two convergent plates collide and the crust crumbles.

Oceanic Ridges

Underwater mountain ranges where the crust is spreading apart creating new ocean floor

Seafloor Spreading

When divergent plates beneath the ocean waters move apart to make new seafloor. Magma is forced up between the cracks.

Pangaea

is from the Greek origin and means "all lands"