2 types of plate:

1. Continental plate (lighter Plate Tectonic

than oceanic plate)
2. Oceanic plate (denser
than continental plate) WHAT?
A plate is a broken piece of earth’s crust that floats on top of a mantle

Why do plates move?

Plate boundary (margin)
Plate moves because of the heat found in the Earth’s
Plate boundaries are where the plates meets/moves. There are 3 types of it:
interior which causes rocks in the mantle to melt and
became magma. As the magma is heated, this pushes
1. Convergent plate-move towards each other
the plates away from each other which create
2. Divergent plate-move away from each other
convection current that makes the plates move.
3. Transform plate-slide past each other
How do plates move?

1. Plates move away from each other.

2. Plates move towards each other.
3. Plates slide past each other.
Convergent Plate (Destructive)
 As the plates collide with each other
some crust are destroyed and
melted. When continental and
oceanic plate collides, the oceanic
plate sinks under the continental plate
since it is denser than continental
plate. This is called subduction and
the area where this occurs is called
subduction zone. Thus pressing
together of 2 plates will fold the
crusty and forms what we known as
Fold Mountain.
 Convergent movement is considered
destructive because part of the
Earth’s crust is destroyed and melted
in the process.
Divergent Plate (Constructive)
 As the 2 plates move apart, magma
from the mantle underneath the crust
is forced to rise up to the surface,
cools and solidifies at the plate
boundary. Divergent take place at the
boundary of oceanic plates and forms
new sea floor. This process is called
sea-floor spreading. As magma rises
up to the surface, it piles up and
solidifies, slowly forming a long chain
of mountains on the ocean floor called
ocean ridge.
 This movement is considered
constructive since new crust is formed
and in some places produces new
volcanic islands.
Transform Plate (Conservative)
 As the plates slide past each other, it
creates a transform faulting. Faulting
occurs and earthquake often take
place along the plate boundary but
little or no volcanic activity take place.
The movement is not smooth due to
friction between rocks and would get
stuck. This build up pressure, rocks in
the plates break apart.
 It is called conservative because plate
material is neither created nor
destroyed at these boundaries.