Plate Boundaries Flashcards
Divergent Boundaries
exists between two tectonic plates that are moving away from each other
Rift Valleys
formed by two diverging continental plates
Mid-Ocean Ridges (Undersea Ridges)
an underwater mountain system formed by diverging oceanic plates
Seafloor Spreading
the formation of new areas of oceanic crust, which occurs through the upwelling of magma at midocean ridges and its subsequent outward movement on either side
Convergent Boundaries
tectonic plates that move toward one another
Subduction
takes place at convergent boundaries of tectonic plates where one plate moves under another and is forced or sinks due to gravity into the mantle
Ring of Fire
major area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean where a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur
Transform Boundaries
tectonic plates that slide past each
Earthquakes
a sudden and violent shaking of the ground, sometimes causing great destruction, as a result of movements within the earth's crust or volcanic action
Mountain Formation
formed at the boundary of two converging continental tectonic plates
Trench
form when one tectonic plate slides beneath another plate at a subduction zone
Volcanic Mountain Range
thick segments of crust that formed by addition of thick piles of volcanic rocks, generally above a subduction zone
Magma
a mixture of molten or semi-molten rock, volatiles and solids that is found beneath the surface of the Earth
Plate Boundary
a place where two tectonic plates meet; may be divergent, convergent, or transform
Lithosphere
includes the crust and the uppermost mantle, which constitute the hard and rigid outer layer of the Earth; subdivided into plates
Asthenosphere
the layer of the Earth that lies below the lithosphere where convection of the mantle takes place
Boundary Type that Mid-Ocean Ridges, Volcanoes
Ocean-Ocean Divergent Boundary
Boundary Type that Creates Mountains
Continent-Continent Convergent Boundary
Boundary Type that Creates Rift Valleys
Continent-Continent Divergent Boundary
Boundary Type that Creates Trenches and Volcanic Island Arcs
Continent-Ocean Convergent Boundary
Boundary Type that Creates Faults
Transform Boundary