Plate Bounaries

The three plate boundaries are divergent, convergent, and transform. A divergent boundary happens when 2 tectonic plates move away from each other. Along those boundaries, lava explodes from long fissures and geysers spew super-heated water. A convergent boundary happens when 2 tectonic plates come together. The impact of the two colliding plates buckles the edge of one or both plates up into a mountain type shape. The last plate boundary is the transform plate boundary, and that happens when two plates slide pass each other.

• Earthquakes are commonly caused by divergent boundaries.
• Volcanoes are commonly caused by convergent boundaries.
• Seafloors are created from divergent boundaries.
• Seafloors are destroyed by convergent boundaries
• mid-ocean ridges are created by divergent boundaries.
• deep-ocean trenches are created by convergent boundaries

Convergent Example – The West Coast of South Africa is a convergent boundary between the Nazca plate and South Africa plate.

Divergent example – The Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the Great Rift Valley

Transform example – The Alpine Fault of New Zealand