BOUNDARIES
What are divergent boundaries?
Are places where two tectonic plates move apart, creating new crust and often resulting in volcanoes and earthquakes. Also known as constructive boundaries, when two tectonic plates move away from each other, magma from the mantle rises up to fill the gap, creating new oceanic crust.
How is the deep ocean trench created?
A deep ocean trench is created through a process called "subduction," where one tectonic plate slides beneath another at a convergent plate boundary, causing the oceanic crust to bend and form a deep depression in the seafloor. This process happens when a denser oceanic plate meets a less dense continental plate, with the oceanic plate being forced underneath.
What is magma?
Magma is molten or semi-molten rock that is located beneath the Earth's surface. It is a hot, viscous liquid that can contain gases and solid particles.
What's the difference between oceanic crust and continental crust?
The key differences lie in their composition, thickness, and density. Oceanic crust is significantly thinner, denser, and composed primarily of mafic igneous rocks like basalt, while continental crust is thicker, less dense, and made up mostly of felsic rocks like granite
What are Transform boundaries?
Transform boundaries are areas where tectonic plates slide past each other horizontally, creating a broad zone of shearing between the plates.
How are mid-ocean ridges created?
Mid-ocean ridges are formed by plate tectonics when tectonic plates move apart, creating new oceanic crust.
What is seafloor spreading?
Seafloor spreading is a geological process where new oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges, causing tectonic plates to move apart and gradually spread away from the ridge, essentially creating new seafloor along the divergent plate boundaries.
Describe oceanic-oceanic convergent boundary.
Oceanic-oceanic convergent boundary is when two oceanic plates collide, and the older, denser plate subducts beneath the younger, less dense plate. As a result, earthquakes, volcanic activity, and island arcs form.
What are convergent boundaries?
Convergent boundaries are areas where two or more tectonic plates move towards each other, and one plate slides beneath the other. They are also known as destructive boundaries.
How are volcanoes created?
Volcanoes are formed when molten rock, called magma, rises from deep within the Earth's mantle and reaches the surface through cracks in the crust, typically occurring at the boundaries of tectonic plates where plates are colliding or pulling apart.
What is subduction?
Subduction is a geological process where the oceanic lithosphere and some continental lithosphere is recycled into the Earth's mantle at the convergent boundaries between tectonic plates. Where one tectonic plate converges with a second plate, the heavier plate dives beneath the other and sinks into the mantle.
What are examples of oceanic crust?
Examples of oceanic crust include basalt and gabbro, which are dark-colored, dense igneous rocks that primarily make up the ocean floor, formed at mid-ocean ridges and considered "mafic" due to their high magnesium and iron content. Essentially, any rock found on the seafloor that is predominantly composed of these minerals can be considered part of the oceanic crust.
Name the three types of convergent boundaries?
The three types of convergent boundaries are: oceanic-oceanic, oceanic-continental, and continental-continental. These convergent boundaries are essentially categorized by the type of crust involved on each colliding plate, whether it's oceanic or continental.
How are the rift valleys created?
Rift valleys are created when tectonic plates move apart, or rift, causing the Earth's crust to fracture and a block of crust to drop down into the gap.
How is new crust form?
New crust is formed through a process called seafloor spreading, which occurs at divergent plate boundaries. Tectonic plates move apart, magma rises and then cools and solidifies to form new crust.
What formations can plate boundaries create?
Plate boundaries can create many geological formations, including mountain ranges, ocean trenches, volcanoes, rift valleys and fault lines.
How does the process of convection impact plate boundaries?
Convection is the primary driving force behind the movement of tectonic plates at plate boundaries, causing them to move apart at divergent boundaries, collide at convergent boundaries, and slide past each other at transform boundaries.
How are mountains created?
Mountains are primarily created when tectonic plates collide with one another, causing the Earth's crust to buckle, fold, and rise up, forming mountain ranges. And is most prominent where two continental plates meet and crumple against each other.
What is an earthquake prone area?
Earthquakes are caused by the movement of tectonic plates, so the boundaries of these plates are the most likely places for earthquakes to occur. These weak zones are also known as fault zones.
What are examples of continental crust?
Any landmass on Earth that is not underwater is considered part of the continental crust. Examples include all continents: the North American continent (including the Rocky Mountains), the Eurasian continent (including the Alps), the South American continent (including the Andes), the African continent (including the Great Rift Valley), and the Australian continent (including the Great Dividing Range).