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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

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