Describe plate tectonics in your own words. Why might it be important for you to know about plate tectonics?
Describe plate tectonics in your own words. Why might it be important for you to know about plate tectonics?
Plate Tectonics
The movement of Earth's tectonic plates shapes the Earth's surface. The outer most shell of the Earth, Lithosphere is broken into tectonic plates. There are many major and minor tectonic plates. The relative movement of these plates ranges from 0 to 100mm annually. These plates are composed of the oceanic lithosphere and the thicker continental lithosphere. The type of boundary is determined by the meeting of plates on their relative motion. Three major types of plate boundaries are; Divergent boundary, convergent boundary and Transform boundary.
- Divergent Plate boundary
Divergent boundaries occurs where two plates slide apart from each other. This forms new ocean basins and ridges.
- Convergent Plate boundary
Convergent boundaries occurs where two plates slides towards each other. This forms either a subduction zone or a continental collision.
- Transform Plate boundary
Transform boundaries occurs when two plates slide past each other horizontally. Here the plates are neither created nor destroyed.
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