Summary / Synthesis
According to the plate tectonics model, the Earth’s lithosphere is divided into large, rigid segments
called tectonic plates. These plates move slowly but continuously over time.
As plates move, they form three main types of boundaries:
- Divergent Boundary: Forms when plates move apart, creating a zone of tension.
- Convergent Boundary: Forms when two plates collide; one plate often sinks beneath the other.
- Transform Fault Boundary: Forms when plates slide horizontally past each other.
The movement of plates creates major geological features and events such as earthquakes,
volcanoes, mountain ranges, and deep ocean trenches.
Glossary of Terms
- Continental Volcanic Arc – A chain of volcanoes/mountains formed when an oceanic plate
subducts under a continental plate, causing magma to rise.
- Convergent Boundary – A boundary where two plates move toward each other; the denser plate
sinks (subducts) into the mantle.
- Crust – The outermost, solid, and thinnest layer of the Earth.
- Lithosphere – The rigid outer layer of the Earth, made up of the crust and the upper mantle.
- Subduction – The process where one tectonic plate slides beneath another and sinks into the
mantle.
According to the plate tectonics model, the Earth’s lithosphere is divided into large, rigid segments
called tectonic plates. These plates move slowly but continuously over time.
As plates move, they form three main types of boundaries:
- Divergent Boundary: Forms when plates move apart, creating a zone of tension.
- Convergent Boundary: Forms when two plates collide; one plate often sinks beneath the other.
- Transform Fault Boundary: Forms when plates slide horizontally past each other.
The movement of plates creates major geological features and events such as earthquakes,
volcanoes, mountain ranges, and deep ocean trenches.
Glossary of Terms
- Continental Volcanic Arc – A chain of volcanoes/mountains formed when an oceanic plate
subducts under a continental plate, causing magma to rise.
- Convergent Boundary – A boundary where two plates move toward each other; the denser plate
sinks (subducts) into the mantle.
- Crust – The outermost, solid, and thinnest layer of the Earth.
- Lithosphere – The rigid outer layer of the Earth, made up of the crust and the upper mantle.
- Subduction – The process where one tectonic plate slides beneath another and sinks into the
mantle.
