Tectonic Plate Boundaries

Front

What is a tectonic plate?

Back

A tectonic plate is a massive, irregularly shaped slab of solid rock that makes up the Earth's lithosphere, which includes the crust and the upper mantle.

Front

What are the three main types of plate boundaries?

Back

The three main types of plate boundaries are convergent, divergent, and transform boundaries.

Front

What occurs at a convergent boundary?

Back

At a convergent boundary, two tectonic plates collide, which can lead to the formation of mountains, trenches, or volcanic arcs.

Front

What is a divergent boundary?

Back

A divergent boundary is where two tectonic plates move away from each other, leading to the formation of new crust, often seen at mid-ocean ridges.

Front

What geological feature is formed at a convergent boundary between an oceanic plate and a continental plate?

Back

Mountain range formation occurs when an oceanic plate collides with a continental plate.

Front

What is a rift valley?

Back

A rift valley is a lowland region formed by the divergence of tectonic plates, characterized by steep walls and a central block that has dropped down.

Front

What is a volcanic island arc?

Back

A volcanic island arc is a chain of volcanic islands formed at a convergent boundary between two oceanic plates.

Front

What happens when two oceanic plates collide?

Back

When two oceanic plates collide, a trench is formed, and one plate may be subducted beneath the other.

Front

What is a transform boundary?

Back

A transform boundary is where two tectonic plates slide past each other horizontally, leading to earthquakes.

Front

What is subduction?

Back

Subduction is the process by which one tectonic plate moves under another plate and sinks into the mantle.