Types of Tectonic Plates and Boundaries

Types of Tectonic Plates and Boundaries

What's happening in the Earth's stuffed crust?

Different Kinds of Plates

• There are two main sections of tectonic plate: continental crust and oceanic crust

• We live on continental crust; oceanic crust is under the oceans

• Continental plates are less dense; they sit on top of oceanic plates

Multiple Select

What are the two types of tectonic plates?

• Volcanic

• Mantle

• Oceanic

• Stratified

• Continental

Multiple Choice

Which type of plate is denser, continental or oceanic?

• Continental

• Oceanic

Types of Tectonic Plate Boundary

• There are three types of plate boundary:

• Diverging

• Converging

• Transform

Diverging Boundaries

• When oceanic plates move apart they form a mid-ocean ridge, which leads to seafloor spreading

Converging Boundaries

• When continental plates converge (move together) they can form mountain ranges

• When oceanic plates converge, the older, denser plate will sink under the newer plate

• Regions where one plate sinks under another are called subduction zones

• The most violent earthquakes occur near subduction zones where a continental plate converges with an oceanic plate

Transform Boundaries

• Transform boundaries occur when tectonic plates slide past each other

• California lies on the junction of two plates forming a transform boundary.

Multiple Choice

What geological feature occurs near diverging oceanic plates?

• Mid-ocean ridge

• Subduction zone

• Mountain range

• Volcano

• Plateau

Multiple Choice

What type of plate boundary occurs where the Pacific and North American plates meet in California?

• Converging boundary

• Diverging boundary

• Transform boundary

Multiple Choice

Earthquakes can occur near any type of tectonic plate boundary. Where do the most violent earthquakes occur?

• Transform boundaries

• Convergent continental/oceanic boundaries

• Convergent continental/continental boundaries

• Divergent boundaries