The Types Of Tectonic Plate Interactions

This lab uses earthquake data to construct profiles of two convergent boundaries: the Tonga Trench and the Peru-Chile Trench. Where two tectonic plates converge, if one or both of the plates is an oceanic lithosphere, a subduction zone will form. When crust is formed at a mid-ocean ridge, it is hot and buoyant meaning it has a low density. As it spreads away from the ridge and cools and contracts, or becomes denser, it is able to sink into the hotter underlying mantle. When two oceanic plates collide, the younger of the two plates, because it is less dense will ride over the edge of the older plate. The density of the

As a tectonic plate slides into the mantle, the heat releases fluids trapped in the plate. Seawater and carbon dioxide, rise into the upper plate and can partially melt the overlying crust, forming magma. And magma most likely means volcanoes are around.

The theory of plate tectonics states that the Earth’s lithosphere (top layer of the Earth’s crust) is split up into rigid sections called plates that are moving relative to one another as they move on top of the underlying semi-molten mantle. These plates are either continental, The North American Plate, or oceanic, The Nazca Plate.

The new volcanic material welling up into the void, which forms a ribbon of new materials and breaks down its center gradually, when the plates move apart from the axis of the mid-oceanic ridge system. Therefore, every separating plate accretes one half a ribbon of new lithosphere, and, thus, a new surface is added (Pitman, W.C, 2007). The process is continuous, and separation is always happening at the

The theory of plate tectonics states that Earth’s outer shell is divided into plates. The crust and upper mantle is broken into plates that move around on the mantle, changing in size throughout time. The lithosphere makes up the crust and upper mantle and the asthenosphere a plastic like layer beneath the lithosphere. There are three types of plate boundaries. Divergent boundaries where two plates move away from each other. The ocean widens and new crust forms at the mid-oceanic ridge. Convergent boundaries has three types of converging, moving two plates towards each other. First we have an ocean floor plate that collides with a less dense continental plate. Next an ocean floor plate collides with another ocean floor plate. Finally a continental plate collides with another continental plate. Transform boundaries were two plates slide past one another. The resulting effects of plate tectonics is landforms such as rift valleys,

The Earth’s outer crust is made up many tectonic plates that move over the surface of the planet. When the plates come collide, volcanoes will form sometime (National Ocean Service). Volcanoes can also form in the middle of a plate, where magma rises upward until it erupts on the sea floor, at what is called a “hot spot” (National Ocean Service). A hot spot is a plume of magma or molten rock that rises from within the Earth then reaches the surface forming underwater volcanoes which may grow tall enough to

The earth’s crust is made out of plate tectonics. Each plate has a defined boundary and direction it moves. The plates in Earth’s crust perform two actions; they submerge under each other or they spread out. The Pacific Plate is the largest plate and it borders around many plates. The Pacific Plate moves northwest. New crust is formed from magma outpours, which are a result of the zones spreading. The tectonic plates created the islands. When the tectonic plates move, it creates the change in geography. Active volcanoes together shape the way islands are build. The magma from the volcano and the deposits from the plate are needed to create

The three major types of tectonic plates are divergent, subduction and transform. Divergent plates tend to move apart from each other. Subduction plates are when oceanic plate moves under a continental plate. This can cause volcanos to erupt and large sized earthquakes. Transform plates slide back and forth against one another. The Lithosphere consists of the Earths crust and uppermost mantle. The North American plate and the South American plate are the major plates of the lithosphere. The lithosphere also consists of the Pacific plate, the African plate and the Eurasian plate. The Pacific plate is the only major plate that is mainly underwater and is also the largest plate in the lithosphere. The Earth was once one large continental body called Pangea, before the plates started

Volcanos typically formed as a consequence of plate tectonics. In fact, they tend to form when plates converge into each other. In the process of subduction, one plate of the lithosphere, cupped by oceanic crust, slides beneath another one, giving origin to a subduction zone. While sliding down, heat is generated and water is released, causing the formation of magma that rises up to the surface and forms volcanos parallels to overriding plate. The Pacific West region of the United States is known for presenting this type of structure in which the oceanic lithosphere pushes towards the continent and sinks down into the asthenosphere.

Further explain when hot spots are formed, they remain constant as the plate moves over it and results in the formation of volcanoes. Describe to the learners that as the plate moves over a hot spot, a trail of volcanoes is left behind. The older volcanoes move, new volcanoes will form over the hot spot. Provide the most well known example of hot spot volcanism, the Hawaiian Islands. Now play the video “Hawaii’s Hotspot”. Further discuss that the Hawaiian Islands have been forming for millions of years, and that the oldest islands in the Hawaiian Island chain are now dead volcanoes. Be sure to note that the biggest island is also the newest island, with two active volcanoes. Instruct the learners that these new volcanoes are being fed by the same hot spot that created the older dead ones, and eventually the big island will also become dormant as the plate moves away forming a new island fed by the same hot spot.

Practically all of the major processes that occur on the surface of the earth are related to plate tectonics. Earthquakes, volcanism, and mountain building are three of the most spectacular earth processes related to tectonic activity, however many other processes like metamorphism, sedimentary rock formation, among others are related directly or indirectly to plate tectonics. In the interactive image below, you can see the relationship between them (Plate Tectonics, 2007).

The Ring of Fire is the result of plate tectonics. Much of the volcanic activity occurs along subduction zones which are convergent plate boundaries where two tectonic plates come together. The heavier plate is shoved (or subducted) under the other plate. When this happens, melting of the plates produces magma. The magma rises up through the overlying plate, erupting to the surface as a volcano.

The Earth has plates that are all around the world, named the Pacific,North American,Eurasian plates and etc.When these plates move past or beneath each other large earthquakes form. A Ring of Fire is formed when the edges of plates come in contact with other plates. This is also known as the danger zone where earthquakes are most occurred. Pressure is created and grows when plates meet.

Plate tectonic activity is related to many other things like, volcanoes and earthquakes. These natural hazards can be found in linear belts around the globe. There are seven large plates and many small ones, the main types of plates include the divergent plate boundary (pulls away), convergent plate boundary (move towards each other) and transform plate boundary (slide past). Ocean-continent boundaries create earthquakes up 700 km deep and forms seafloor trenches, it leads to andesitic volcanoes in mountain ranges. Yellowstone is a ‘hot spot’ this is where heating and igneous activity occurs within crust. Although, not all plates move at the same rate, they are relative to each other. Continent - continent boundaries with divergent can form rift valleys, earthquakes less than 100 km deep, and basaltic/rhyolitic volcanoes. At Convergent they have young mountain range, 300 km deep earthquakes, and no volcanoes. At transform, they have a fault zone, less than 100 km deep earthquakes and again no volcanoes. With ocean-ocean boundaries there is oceanic ridges with rift valley, less than 100 km earthquakes, and basaltic pillow lavas at divergent. On convergent there are seafloor trenches, 700 km earthquakes and andesitic volcanoes in island arc. With transform you have ridges and valleys in oceanic crust, less than 100 km earthquakes, and some basalt. Plates are driven by the convection in the mantle and movement of the lithosphere.

Earth 's volcanoes occur because its crust is broken into 17 major, rigid tectonic plates that float on a hotter, softer layer in its mantle. Therefore, on Earth, volcanoes are generally found where tectonic plates are diverging or converging. For example, a mid-oceanic ridge, such as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, has volcanoes caused by divergent tectonic plates pulling apart; the Pacific Ring of Fire has volcanoes caused by convergent tectonic plates coming together. Volcanoes can also form where there is stretching and thinning of the crust 's interior plates, e.g., in the East African Rift and the Wells Gray-Clearwater volcanic field and Rio Grande Rift in North America. This type of volcanism falls under the umbrella of "plate hypothesis" volcanism. Volcanism away from plate boundaries has also been explained as mantle plumes. These so-called "hotspots", for example Hawaii, are postulated to arise from upwelling diapirs with magma from the core–mantle boundary, 3,000 km deep in the Earth. Volcanoes are usually not created where two tectonic plates slide past one another.