Plate Boundaries Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key concepts, boundary types, and geological structures discussed in the lecture on plate boundaries.

Convergent Boundaries

Plate boundaries that occur when two plates collide.

Continental to Continental Collision

A type of convergent boundary collision where two plates of continental crust collide, buckle, and thicken, causing mountains to form.

Continental to Ocean Collision

A collision where a plate of oceanic crust collides with a plate of continental crust and subducts underneath it, resulting in magma rising to create volcanoes along the boundary.

Ocean to Ocean Collision

A collision where two plates of oceanic crust collide, and the older, more dense plate subducts under the younger plate, creating an island arc.

Divergent Boundaries

Plate boundaries that occur when two plates move away from each other, allowing the asthenosphere to rise and partially melt to create new rock and lithosphere.

Mid-Ocean Ridges

Structures formed on the ocean floor at divergent boundaries when the crust and upper part of the asthenosphere cool and become rigid.

Rift Valleys

Geological formations that may develop where continents are separated by plate movement at divergent boundaries.

Transform Boundaries

Plate boundaries that occur where two plates move past each other horizontally, scraping in a series of sudden slippages felt as earthquakes and generally not producing magma.

San Andreas Fault

A major transform boundary located in California.