If two tectonic plates collide, they form a
convergent plate boundary
. Usually, one of the converging plates will move beneath the other, a process known as subduction. Deep trenches are features often formed where tectonic plates are being subducted and earthquakes are common.
What is the border between two tectonic plates called?
The border between two tectonic plates is called
a boundary
. All the tectonic plates are constantly moving — very slowly — around the planet, but in many different directions. Some are moving toward each other, some are moving apart, and some are sliding past each other.
Where do two tectonic plates meet?
That is because its outer surface is composed of about 20 tectonic plates, enormous sections of Earth’s crust that roughly fit together and meet at places called
plate boundaries
. Plate boundaries are important because they are often associated with earthquakes and volcanoes.
Is a fault line where two tectonic plates meet?
When two tectonic plates slide past each other, the place where they meet is
a transform or lateral fault
. The San Andreas Fault is one of the best examples of lateral plate motion.
What are the 4 types of plate tectonics?
- Divergent: extensional; the plates move apart. Spreading ridges, basin-range.
- Convergent: compressional; plates move toward each other. Includes: Subduction zones and mountain building.
- Transform: shearing; plates slide past each other. Strike-slip motion.
What happens when two tectonic plates collide?
If two tectonic plates collide, they form
a convergent plate boundary
. Usually, one of the converging plates will move beneath the other, a process known as subduction. … The new magma (molten rock) rises and may erupt violently to form volcanoes, often building arcs of islands along the convergent boundary.
What causes the tectonic plates to move?
The heat from radioactive processes within the planet’s interior
causes the plates to move, sometimes toward and sometimes away from each other. This movement is called plate motion, or tectonic shift.
How many tectonic plates are there?
how many tectonic plates are there? There are major, minor and micro tectonic plates. There are
seven major plates
: African, Antarctic, Eurasian, Indo-Australian, North American, Pacific and South American.
What are the 3 theories of plate tectonics?
The three types of plate boundaries are
divergent, convergent, and transform
. They are described in the following three concepts. Most geological activity takes place at plate boundaries.
What is the importance of studying tectonic plates?
Plate tectonics
explains why and where earthquakes occur
. This makes it possible to make predictions about earthquakes. Plate tectonics explains why and where mountains are formed. The oceans according to plate tectonics are formed by divergent boundaries.
How fast do tectonic plates move?
They can move at
rates of up to four inches (10 centimeters) per year
, but most move much slower than that. Different parts of a plate move at different speeds. The plates move in different directions, colliding, moving away from, and sliding past one another. Most plates are made of both oceanic and continental crust.
Can you see tectonic plates?
The North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet in
Thingvellir
, where they’re visible to visitors walking through the Thingvellir National Park. … There, you can touch both plates at the same time and see some of the clearest water on earth.
What are the two main types of tectonic plates?
The two types of tectonic plates are
continental and oceanic tectonic plates
.
What is an example of plate tectonics?
A general discussion of plate tectonics. …
The Pacific Plate
, for example, is entirely oceanic, whereas the North American Plate is capped by continental crust in the west (the North American continent) and by oceanic crust in the east and extends under the Atlantic Ocean as far as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
What are the different types of plates?
- There are three main types of plate boundaries:
- Convergent boundaries: where two plates are colliding.
- Divergent boundaries – where two plates are moving apart.
- Transform boundaries – where plates slide passed each other.
What happens when two tectonic plates collide quizlet?
When two oceanic plates collide, the denser plate is subducted and some material rises upward and forms an ISLAND. What happens when two continental plates collide?
The continental crust is pushed together and upward to form large MOUNTAIN ranges
. … Ocean floor is pushed away from a midocean ridge to form new sea floor.
