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

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