Divergent plate boundaries: the two plates move away from each other.
Plate tectonics is the most important concept in modern geology. There are three main types of plate boundaries: 1. Plate tectonics is the theory that Earth's outer shell is divided into several plates that glide over the mantle, the rocky inner layer above the core. Critique and interpret major types of evidence supporting the Theory of Plate Tectonics. Subduction zones occur when one or both of the tectonic plates are composed of oceanic crust. PALEOMAP Project. An asymmetric valley is a type of tectonic landform which has a steeper slope on one side. Divergent boundaries occur along spreading centers where plates are moving apart and new crust is created by magma pushing up from the mantle. Divergent boundaries The basic types of plate boundaries are divergent boundaries, convergent boundaries, and transform boundaries. The plates act like a hard and rigid shell compared to Earth's mantle. When convection within the mantel causes two tectonic plates move away from each other, or when a tectonic plate tears itself apart, divergent boundaries can form. The type of plate boundary and the type of crust found on each side of the boundary determines what sort of geologic activity will be found there. More frequently, south-facing slopes are steeper than the opposite slopes at higher elevations. Under the plates is a weaker layer of partially melted rock. Of course, divergent plate boundaries also exist on land. Types of tectonic plate boundaries. Such valleys are formed form when a large incised river crosses a strike-slip fault. The lithosphere includes the crust and outer part of the mantle.
This means that when an oceanic tectonic plate collides with a continental plate, it certain to slip under, or be subducted by, the continental plate. This section will introduce you to the concept of plate tectonics, how it works, why it is important and how it is shaping the world today. The denser plate is subducted underneath the less dense plate. There are three main types of tectonic plate boundaries, described in terms of the way that tectonic plates move relative to each other. And most recently, the 2008 earthquake in China which killed nearly 85,000 people before the Summer Olympics was because of this tectonic force. Convergent plate boundaries: the two plates move towards each other. Illustration of the Main Types of Plate Boundaries [55 k] Divergent boundaries. i. Convergent boundaries: where two plates are colliding. All of Earth’s land and water sit on these plates. Plate tectonics is the scientific theory that attempts to explain the movements of the Earth's lithosphere that have formed the landscape features we see across the globe today. The plates are made of solid rock. This movement of the Earth's surface impacts where oil and natural gas deposits can be found, which is why the study of Plate Tectonics is important to Petroleum Geologists. Types of Plate Tectonics According to United States Geological Survey (USGS), there are three different types of plate movements; that is, divergent, convergent, and lateral plate slipping resulting from the three different plate boundaries that exist. The East African Rift is an example of a single tectonic plate being ripped in two. Transform plate boundaries: the two plates slip past each other. Iceland contains tectonic plate boundaries. Plate boundary zones -- broad belts in which boundaries are not well defined and the effects of plate interaction are unclear. The plate being forced under is eventually melted and destroyed.