PLATES

Himalayas

The mountain range formed by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian land masses due to plate tectonics.

Subduction

A geological process that is impossible between two colliding continental plates, leading to upward crust movement instead.

Divergent Plate Boundaries

Areas where tectonic plates move apart, leading to the formation of rift valleys and oceanic ridges.

Oceanic Ridges

Underwater mountain ranges formed at divergent boundaries where new ocean floor is created.

Mid-Atlantic Ocean Ridge

An example of a spreading center that causes the divergence of the South American and African plates.

Rift Valleys

Down faulted valleys formed when a spreading center develops within a continent, associated with rising hot materials from the mantle.

Linear Sea

A body of water that forms as rift valleys increase in length and depth, similar to the current Red Sea.

Transform Fault Boundaries

Boundaries where lithospheric plates grind past each other, often joining segments of mid-ocean ridges.

San Andreas Fault

A well-known example of a transform fault that cuts through continental crust and is associated with earthquake activities.

Hot Spot

An area in the mantle that produces molten materials, leading to the formation of volcanic islands, such as the Hawaiian Islands.

Mantle Plume

A source of molten materials from the mantle that creates volcanic island chains as tectonic plates move over it.

Volcanic Islands

Islands formed by volcanic activity, which become extinct as they move away from the hot spot, leading to the formation of new islands.