Summary of Plate Boundaries

Convergent Boundaries

• cool rock subjected to compressional stress
• longest amount of time to accumulate stress before strain (brittle deformation) occurs
• largest maximum earthquake size
• has lots of earthquakes
• large mountain ranges
• has oceanic oceanic and continental continental convergent boundaries
  • extensive volcanism
  • volcanism: chains of volcanoes

Transform Boundaries

• warm to cool rock subjected to shear stress
• moderate amount of time to accumulate stress before strain (brittle deformation) occurs
• moderate maximum earthquake size
• move laterally (side to side)
• lithosphere is neither created or destroyed
• lots of small to medium sized earthquakes
• there are no volcanoes here

Divergent Boundaries

• hot rock subjected to tensional stress
• shortest amount of time to accumulate stress before strain (brittle deformation) occurs
• smallest maximum earthquake size
• plates spread or move apart
• mid-ocean ridges are divergent boundaries
  • all mid-ocean ridges are divergent boundaries, but not all divergent boundaries are mid-ocean ridges
• lots of small earthquakes
• lots of volcanoes
• generally, non-threatening