What happens when plates move towards each other?
Convergent (Colliding): This occurs when plates move towards each other and collide. When a continental plate meets an oceanic plate, the thinner, denser, and more flexible oceanic plate sinks beneath the thicker, more rigid continental plate. This is called subduction.
When plates move towards one another it is called?
When two plates come together, it is known as a convergent boundary. The impact of the colliding plates can cause the edges of one or both plates to buckle up into a mountain ranges or one of the plates may bend down into a deep seafloor trench.
What type of plate boundary occurs when plates are moving towards each other as shown in the diagram on the right?
Convergent boundaries, where two plates are moving toward each other, are of three types, depending on the type of crust present on either side of the boundary — oceanic or continental.
What happens when convergent boundaries occur?
A convergent plate boundary is a location where two tectonic plates are moving toward each other, often causing one plate to slide below the other (in a process known as subduction). The collision of tectonic plates can result in earthquakes, volcanoes, the formation of mountains, and other geological events.
What are the convergent boundary?
A convergent boundary (also known as a destructive boundary) is an area on Earth where two or more lithospheric plates collide. One plate eventually slides beneath the other, a process known as subduction.
What is a divergent boundary?
In plate tectonics, a divergent boundary or divergent plate boundary (also known as a constructive boundary or an extensional boundary) is a linear feature that exists between two tectonic plates that are moving away from each other.
Which plate boundary is formed when two plates move towards each other?
convergent plate boundary 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 at subduction zones as well.
What is formed 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. Deep trenches are features often formed where tectonic plates are being subducted and earthquakes are common at subduction zones as well.
What happens at divergent boundaries?
Divergent boundaries occur along spreading centers where plates are moving apart and new crust is created by magma pushing up from the mantle. Picture two giant conveyor belts, facing each other but slowly moving in opposite directions as they transport newly formed oceanic crust away from the ridge crest.
What does a divergent boundary form?
A divergent plate boundary often forms a mountain chain known as a ridge. This feature forms as magma escapes into the space between the spreading tectonic plates.
What does a convergent boundary form?
Convergent boundaries can form mountains, volcanos, or subduction zones that form large trenches. When two plates collide, the crusts can push together to form mountain ranges. This is how the Himalayan mountains were formed. Convergent boundaries between oceanic and continental boundaries feature a subduction zone.
What does a transform boundary form?
Lesson Summary. The Earth's crust is split into sections called tectonic plates. Transform boundaries are where two of these plates are sliding alongside each other. This causes intense earthquakes, the formation of thin linear valleys, and split river beds.
What is the result of plate tectonics?
The movement of these tectonic plates is likely caused by convection currents in the molten rock in Earth's mantle below the crust. Earthquakes and volcanoes are the short-term results of this tectonic movement. The long-term result of plate tectonics is the movement of entire continents over millions of years (Fig.
What does convergent boundary?
( kən-vûr′jənt ) A tectonic boundary where two plates are moving toward each other. If the two plates are of equal density, they usually push up against each other, forming a mountain chain.
What does convergent boundary cause?
A convergent plate boundary is a location where two tectonic plates are moving toward each other, often causing one plate to slide below the other (in a process known as subduction). The collision of tectonic plates can result in earthquakes, volcanoes, the formation of mountains, and other geological events.
What is the process of plate tectonics?
Plates interact in three ways: 1) Plates move away from each other at what are called divergent boundaries (also known as spreading centers); 2) Plates move towards each other at convergent boundaries, where continents collide creating mountain ranges or one plate sinks beneath another plate at a subduction zones and …
Which of the will form when two tectonic plates are colliding to each other?
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 at subduction zones as well.
What is a divergent tectonic plate?
( dĭ-vûr′jənt ) A tectonic boundary where two plates are moving away from each other and new crust is forming from magma that rises to the Earth's surface between the two plates.
What causes 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.
When plates slide past each other the geologic event that may take place is called?
When oceanic or continental plates slide past each other in opposite directions, or move in the same direction but at different speeds, a transform fault boundary is formed. No new crust is created or subducted, and no volcanoes form, but earthquakes occur along the fault.
When two continental plates collide what is formed?
Collision Zones and Mountains Instead, a collision between two continental plates crunches and folds the rock at the boundary, lifting it up and leading to the formation of mountains and mountain ranges.
What happened when two plates collide?
When two tectonic plates collide, they form a convergent plate boundary. A convergent plate boundary such as the one between the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate forms towering mountain ranges, like the Himalayas, as Earth's crust is crumpled and pushed upward.
What is convergent boundary?
A convergent boundary (also known as a destructive boundary) is an area on Earth where two or more lithospheric plates collide. One plate eventually slides beneath the other, a process known as subduction. The subduction zone can be defined by a plane where many earthquakes occur, called the Wadati–Benioff zone.
What is convergent divergent and transform?
Divergent boundaries — where new crust is generated as the plates pull away from each other. Convergent boundaries — where crust is destroyed as one plate dives under another. Transform boundaries — where crust is neither produced nor destroyed as the plates slide horizontally past each other.
What means transform boundary?
A transform fault or transform boundary, sometimes called a strike-slip boundary, is a fault along a plate boundary where the motion is predominantly horizontal. It ends abruptly where it connects to another plate boundary, either another transform, a spreading ridge, or a subduction zone.
What is it called when two plates meet?
The Earth's outer shell is divided into pieces called plates. Most volcanoes, mountains, and earthquakes occur where plates meet. Places where plates meet are called plate boundaries.
What is tectonic shift?
Tectonic plates, the massive slabs of Earth's lithosphere that help define our continents and ocean, are constantly on the move. Plate tectonics is driven by a variety of forces: dynamic movement in the mantle, dense oceanic crust interacting with the ductile asthenosphere, even the rotation of the planet.
What happens at a convergent boundary?
A convergent boundary (also known as a destructive boundary) is an area on Earth where two or more lithospheric plates collide. One plate eventually slides beneath the other, a process known as subduction. The subduction zone can be defined by a plane where many earthquakes occur, called the Wadati–Benioff zone.
When plates slide past each other the boundary is called?
When oceanic or continental plates slide past each other in opposite directions, or move in the same direction but at different speeds, a transform fault boundary is formed. No new crust is created or subducted, and no volcanoes form, but earthquakes occur along the fault.
What happens when two continental plates meet?
When two continental plates converge, they smash together and create mountains. The amazing Himalaya Mountains are the result of this type of convergent plate boundary. The Appalachian Mountains resulted from ancient convergence when Pangaea came together.