Earthquakes & Plate Boundaries© Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-4688Visit www.newpathlearning.com for Online Learning Resources.ContinentalcrustOceanic crustrift valleymagmamountainrangeLithosphereConvergent boundaryConvergent boundaryTransformboundaryDivergentboundariesLithospheretrenchtrenchmid-ocean ridgeSubduction zoneTectonic Plate BoundariesThe tectonic plates move against each other at their boundaries, resulting in intense geologic activity, such as volcanoes, earthquakes and mountain formation. There are three types of plate boundaries—divergent, convergent and transform. Tectonic Plates in MotionThe Earth’s tectonic plates are in motion due to the movement of convection currents in the mantle.This movement creates forces called stress that push and pull the rock within the Earth’s crust. epicenterfocusContinentalcrustLithosphereTransformboundaryseismic wavesfocusSan Andreas faultepicenterseismic wavestectonic platecrustmantleconvection currentsStress can cause rock to break and release stored energy in the form of seismic waves. These waves travel through the Earth and an earthquake occurs. Transform BoundaryA transform boundary occurs when tectonic plates slide past each other, such as the San Andreas fault in California. These boundaries are called conservative because plate material is neither created nor destroyed.Photos courtesy of USGS and NASA.ContinentalCcrustOcOcOOOOOcec crusteanic crusteanic crustffffffffffftttttttttttt vaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyvvvvvaaaaaaaaaavvvvvvvvvvvvaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmaaaaaaaaaaagmamountainrangeLithosphereConvergent boundaryConvergent boundaryTransffffffffffffffoooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrmmmmmmmmmmmmmbouuuuuuuuunnnnnnnnnnnndddddddddddddddddaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyDDDDDDDDDivveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggggggeeeeeeeenntttttttttttttbbbbbbbbbbboooooooooooouuuuuuuuuundarrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssssLithosppppppppppppphhhhhhhhhhhhhhherehtrennccccchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhccccccccccccchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhcccccccccccccccnnccccccccccccccccccccnenerertrtttrenchmid-ocean ridgezSubductionon zooneznezo zonThe tectonic plates move against each other at their boundddddddddaaaaaaaaaaaaaaariiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssss, resulttttttttttttttiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggg iiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnn intenseeeeeeeee ggggggggggggggeeeologiiiiiiiiicccccccccc aaaaaaaaaaaaaaacccccccccccctttttttttiiiiiiivvvvvvvvviiiiiiiiiiiiiiitttttttttttttttttyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy,,,,, ssuch as volcanoes, earthquakes and mountain formation. There aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeee thhhhhhhhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee tttttyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyypppppppppppppppppeeeeessssss ooooooooooooooffffff plate boundaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiieeeees—diiiiiiiiivvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggggggeeeeeeeeeeeent, t convergentand transform. The Earth’s tectonic plates are in motion due to the movement of convection currents in the mantle.This movement creates forces called stress that push and pull the rock within the Earth’s crust. CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCContinentalcrustLithosphereTrannnnnnnnnnnsssssssssssssssssssfffffffffffffoooooooorrrrrrrrrrrmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmbbbbbbbbbbbbbbboooooooooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuunddaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyseismic wavesffffffffffffooooooooooooooocccccccccccuuuuuuuuuuuuuusssssssssssssSan Andreas faultpppppeeeeeeeeeeeeepppppppppppppiicenterseieismic eiswwaveswptectonic plateccccccccccccrrrrrrrrrrrrruuuuuuuuuuussstmantlleeeeeeeeeeeeelllllleeeeeeeeeeecccccccccoooooonnnnnnvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeccccccccttttttttttttttiiiiiiooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnn ccccccccccuuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnnnnnttttttttttssssssssssssssSSSSSSSSSSSSSStttttttttttrrrress can cause rock to break and relllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaassssssssssseeeeeeee stored energy in the fformmmmmmmmmmmmmmm oooooooooooffffffffff sssssseismic waves. These waves tttttttrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaavvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeel through the Earth annnnnnnnnndddddddddddddd aaaaaaaann eaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrtttttttttttttttthhhhhhhhhhhhhhqqqqqqqqqqqqqqquuake occurs. A transform boundary occurs wwwwwwwwwwwwwhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnnnnn ttttttttttttteeeeeeeeeeeeeeccccccccccttttttttttoooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnniiiiiiiicccccc pllateeeeeeessssssss ssssssssssssssslllllllllllllllliiide ppppppppppppppppppppppaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasssssssssssssssssssttttt eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaach ooooooooooooooottttttttttthhhhhhhhhhhhhhhheer, such as the San Andreas fault in California. rThese boundaries are calllllllllllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeddddddddddddd cccccccccoonserrrrvvvvvvvvvvvaaaaaaaaaaaaatttttttttttiiiiiiiiiiiiivvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeeee bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbeeeeeeeeecccccccccaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuuuuusse plate mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatttttttttttttttteeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllll iisssss nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnneeeeeeeeeeeeeeiiiiiiiiiitther created nor destroyed.
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