RESULTS OF PLATE INTERACTION Geology.com Plate boundaries are the locations where the edges of two pieces of the lithosphere (crust and upper mantle) rub together.

Different natural events are possible and different landforms are generated – Earthquakes and volcanoes, mountains and trenches

1 – Divergent Plate Boundary –

Divergent plate boundaries are usually found below the water.

When they occur on the surface, they create rift valleys, like the Great Rift Valley in Africa. They may eventually be at the bottom of a newly created ocean. - the mid-Atlantic ridge below the surface of the

Atlantic Ocean is the longest chain of mountains on Earth.

There are many earthquakes and volcanoes created by rising magma.

2 – Convergent Plate Boundary – Oceanic plates are different than continental plates, (denser) the result differs depending on which types of plates are converging.

A – Continental-Oceanic Convergent Plate Boundary –

The subducting oceanic plate will eventually sink back

into the mantle and re-melt.

This creates a large pool of magma, which will eventually

find its way to the surface. The magma will rise to the surface and push through the continental crust: forming volcanoes, and mountains

(Sierra Nevada mountains)

Continental-oceanic convergent plate boundaries will create a chain of volcanoes located just inland.

This is exactly what has created the Pacific Ring of Fire,

AND up the California/Oregon/Washington coast

B – Continental-Continental Convergent Plate Boundary –

The coming together of two continental plates creates long mountain ranges.

The mountains continue to get taller and taller. One place where this is happening is in the Himalayas.

Mt. Everest, the tallest mountain located on above ocean, is constantly growing taller.

It is important to note that these mountain ranges are not created as a result of volcanic activity.

Earthquakes will be common in this region.

C - Oceanic-Oceanic Convergent Plate Boundary –

When two oceanic plates come together, both sink into the mantle, and both re-melt.

Then, the molten material rises to the surface and creates volcanic islands. The Philippines are islands that are an example of this.

Shifting crust will produce many earthquakes.

3 – Transform Plate Boundary –

Plates at a transform plate boundary are moving PAST each other.

No volcanoes are created, but, MANY earthquakes will be generated.

The plate boundary that is closest to us is a transform plate boundary and is called the San Andreas Fault