Plate tectonics refers to the movement of tectonic plates that make up Earth's surface. There are several types of plate boundaries that control this movement, including divergent boundaries where plates move apart and new crust is created, convergent boundaries where plates collide or one slides under the other, and transform boundaries where plates slide past each other horizontally. Volcanic activity is most likely to occur above subduction zones, where one plate is pushed deep into the Earth's mantle. The movement and collisions of tectonic plates over millions of years have shaped Earth's surface and continue to cause geological events like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

1. Plate
Tectonics
Ideas to remember
Copyright by Kella Randolph B.S., M.Ed
Image: https://phys.org/news/2016-07-nasa-camera-moon-
photobombing-earth.html

2. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/Plate_tectonics_map.gif/1200px-Plate_tectonics_map.gif
https://images.app.goo.gl/VXxPQZNYGuXwpro99

3. Vocabulary: Plate Tectonics
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

4. Asthenosphere
– a layer of the upper mantle in
which rocks can deform like plastic.
o While the rock of the
asthenosphere is almost solid, over
long periods of time it can move like
a liquid. o The asthenosphere is
thought to contain convection
currents that help to move the
plates

5. Collision zone
– an area in a convergent
boundary where two
continents are colliding. o Due
to its low density, continental
lithosphere is usually not
subducted. As a result, high
mountains often form in these
locations. o The Himalayas
were formed by a collision
between India and Eurasia.
This Photo https://images.app.goo.gl/h784WkDNPGhtBTJs5

6. Convergent boundary
– a boundary between plates
that are moving toward each
other.
o Convergent boundaries
include collision zones and
subduction zones.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Active_Margin.svg&imgrefurl=https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/C
onvergent_boundary&docid=iQ_uUE1azHfncM&tbnid=63oWvJ2OkdHwmM:&vet=1&w=305&h=171&source=sh/x/im

7. The Cascade
Range is still
growingImage: https://images.app.goo.gl/1nauKSz1RdibQedc9

8. Crust
– the rocky outer layer of
Earth.
Oceanic crust is about 10 km
thick, while continental crust
is up to 50 km thick.
Image https://images.app.goo.gl/Bp8RyZkAz2jVz7H36

9. Divergent boundary
– a boundary between plates
that are moving away from
each other.
• New crust is created in a
divergent boundary.
• Divergent boundaries on
the ocean floor result in long
mountain ranges called mid-
ocean ridges.
• Image
https://images.app.goo.gl/vDK7NEEKabv9W3Gd7

10. Earthquake
– shaking and vibration of Earth’s surface.
Most earthquakes are caused by the sudden
movement of plates along plate boundaries
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-S
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-S

11. Lithosphere
– the rigid upper layer of the Earth.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SAhttps://images.app.goo.gl/j4XwNRWD7U1pm1i28

12. Mantle
– the layer of Earth between the crust and
the core. The mantle extends from 2,900
km below Earth’s surface to the base of the
crust. It is the largest of Earth’s layers.
The mantle is composed of solid and
partially molten rock that is rich in
magnesium and iron.
https://images.app.goo.gl/bWu9JcfNdKs54s5Z9
https://images.app.goo.gl/kU3FpC1ZGLW9x2UT6

13. Plate – a rigid section of Earth’s crust that moves very slowly. Earth’s crust
is divided into approximately 15 plates.
https://i.stack.imgur.com/DWe7c.gif

14. Plate Tectonics
– the movement of plates that make up Earth’s surface.
http://eqseis.geosc.psu.edu/~cammon/HTML/Classes/IntroQuakes/Notes/Images_specific/plates.gifhttps://images.app.goo.gl/jrYrBiGj9KiUfzjv5

15. Subduction zone
– a convergent boundary where one
plate is sliding beneath another.
o A subduction zone usually occurs
when at least one of the converging
plates is composed of dense oceanic
lithosphere. In this case, the plate
with the denser lithosphere
subducts, or sinks below, the other
plate.
Image https://images.app.goo.gl/KpZhmpUNCvVC8naW9

16. The San Juan de
Fuca Plate is sliding
beneath the states
of Oregon and
Washington.
.
https://images.app.goo.gl/UTgGjxd89SwsoYtW8

17. Transform boundary
– a boundary between plates that are sliding past one another.
https://images.app.goo.gl/S5grmyTQn4ZeDekV6

18. Volcano
– an opening in Earth’s crust
from which lava, gas, and ash
erupt.
Often the erupted material
will form a mountain.https://images.app.goo.gl/sQMmnBHwQ7xHL5hWA

19. What kind of boundary or zone is shown in
the image?
• Transform boundary
• Image top right:
https://images.app.goo.gl/ws4eBn33KgopZ
ysM8
• Image bottom right:
https://images.app.goo.gl/sx7UHpMKUF48J
Dab9

20. Which
boundary or
zone adds new
material to the
lithosphere
(the hard outer
crust of the
Earth)?
Divergent boundary
Transform boundary
Subduction zone
Collision zone

21. Divergent boundary
– a boundary between plates that are
moving away from each other.
• New crust is created in a divergent
boundary.
• Divergent boundaries on the ocean floor
result in long mountain ranges called mid-
ocean ridges.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

22. https://images.app.goo.gl/i8pZxkWJBJLFcGab7

23. In what way does a
transform boundary
differ from the other
boundary types?
• At a transform boundary, the
plates move in a direction that
is parallel to the boundary line.
• The Mid-Ocean Ridge is a
transform boundary.
Image:
https://images.app.goo.gl/ihk4pPqDDs6DBXBn7
boundary.
hthhttps://images.app.goo.gl/ihk4pPqDDs6DBXBn7ttps://images.app.goo.gl/vWE4Jr2nG

24. https://images.app.goo.gl/XEoUgzUNLyMawfmd6

25. Which type of plate boundary or zone
would be most likely to lead to
above-ground volcanic activity?
Image top left: https://images.app.goo.gl/a8vQ65Qky4tdysBd7
Image top right: https://images.app.goo.gl/5fdr4Tt2ooXqEv81A
Image lower right: https://images.app.goo.gl/gQpftVykqToNQpm16
https://images.app.goo.gl/gQpftVykqToNQpm16

26. The highest mountains in the world are the Himalayas, at the border between the
Indian and Eurasian plates. The Himalayas formed in a collision zone.
https://images.app.goo.gl/UxCLH7JdpCV2LvFt8https://images.app.goo.gl/Np2iKrQM7cVURJ5t5

28. Really bad joke
alert:
• What did the North American
Plate say to the Pacific Plate?
• “You crack me up!”
• Thanks for viewing.
https://images.app.goo.gl/x7P2ap3cmHwoz4eP9