What are the main types of plate tectonic boundaries?.

Plate tectonics is a scientific theory explaining the movement of the Earth's lithosphere, which is divided into tectonic plates. The interactions at the edges of these plates form three main types of boundaries:

Key Facts

• Divergent Boundaries: Plates move apart, creating new crust (e.g., Mid-Atlantic Ridge).
• Convergent Boundaries: Plates collide, leading to subduction or mountain formation (e.g., Himalayas).
• Transform Boundaries: Plates slide past each other, causing earthquakes (e.g., San Andreas Fault).

Examples or Use Cases

• Divergent: Iceland sits on a divergent boundary where the North American and Eurasian plates are moving apart.
• Convergent: The Pacific Plate subducts beneath the North American Plate, forming the Aleutian Islands.
• Transform: The San Andreas Fault in California is a well-known transform boundary.

FAQs

• What causes tectonic plate movement? The movement is primarily caused by convection currents in the mantle.
• How do we know where the boundaries are? Geologists use seismic activity and geological features to identify boundaries.