What are the major plate tectonic boundaries?
Video lecture on divergent, transform, and convergent types of plate boundaries. Recorded during a 2007 teacher workshop on earthquakes and tectonics. Speaker is Dr. Robert Butler, University of Portland Oregon
Three main types of plate boundaries:
- Divergent: extensional; the plates move apart. Spreading ridges, basin-range
- Convergent: compressional; plates move toward each other. Includes: Subduction zones and mountain building.
- Transform: shearing; plates slide past each other. Strike-slip motion.
Keypoints:
Discovery
- Where do the most earthquakes occur worldwide?
- Where do most volcanoes occur?
- What do the concentrations of earthquakes tell us about plate interaction?
- Does the location of earthquakes and volcanoes show a pattern? If so, what tectonic process may be responsible? (compression, extension, shearing)