Ch 2 Plate Boundaries Flashcards
What is a divergent plate boundaries
Plates move away from each other
What is convergent plate boundary
Plates colliide
What are transform boundaries
Plates slide past each other
How do divergent plate boundaries form
Convection currents rising upwards towards the lithosphere move away from each other as they do convection currents pull plates apart
Give an example of a divergent player Boundary
Between the north American and eurasian plates there moving away at a rate of 2.5cm a year
What is sea floor spreading
Occurs when 2 plates forced to separate from each other by CC as plates are pulled apart a gap develops between them. Magma from mantle rises upwards through this crust before spilling out as lava it then hardens into basalt rock and forms new ocean floor
What are rift valleys
Rift valleys are large, elongated depressions with steep walls formed by the downward displacement of a block of the Earth’s surface between nearly parallel faults or fault systems. They typically occur at divergent plate boundaries where tectonic plates are moving apart. Examples include the East African Rift Valley and the Rio Grande Rift.
How do convergent plate boundaries form?
Convergent plate boundaries form when two tectonic plates move toward each other. This movement can result in one plate being forced beneath the other in a process known as subduction, leading to the formation of mountains, earthquakes, and volcanic activity. Examples include the Andes mountain range and the Himalayan mountains.
How do convergent plate boundaries form
two tectonic plates move toward each other due to convection currents in the mantle. These currents create friction and push the plates together. Known as destructive boundaries, the crust is destroyed where they meet.
Give an example of a convergent plate boundaries
Oceanic-oceanic plate collision
Oceanic-continental plate collision
Continental-continental plate collision
What happens when 2 oceanic plates collide
The heavier plate subducts into mantle and melts at a depth of 100km. As subducting plate bends down into mantle, a deep oceanic trench is formed along the plate boundary
What is oceanic trench
A deep depression on the ocean floor, formed where an oceanic plate subducts beneath another plate
What is oceanic-continental collision
What is oceanic-continental collision
