ARELLANO UNIVERSITY

S.Y. 2020-2021

Name:Vincent Angelo B. Garcia Score:

Grade and Section: 10-newton Teacher:
Date:
GRADE 10 SCIENCE
I. CONTENT:
Concept Notes No.
“Plate Tectonics”
- Plate Boundaries
Concept Notes No.
Plate boundaries - the edges where two plates meet. Most geologic activities, including volcanoes,
earthquakes, and mountain building, take place at plate boundaries.
Three types of plate boundaries:
▶ Divergent plate boundary: the two plates move away from each other.
▶ Convergent plate boundary: the two plates move toward each other.
▶ Transform plate boundary: the two plates slip past each other.

Divergent (constructive) plate boundary

A divergent plate boundary is located between two plates that are moving apart. In this type of
plate boundary, the underlying magma rises to the surface (then called lava) filling the gap
between the separating plates and forming a chain of underwater mountains called mid-ocean
ridges. The pulling apart of plates and the insertion of lava through the gaps may result in the
formation of volcanic islands.

Most of the divergent boundaries are found on the seafloor where they form ocean ridges. An
example is the Mid-Atlantic ridge.

The seafloor spreading begins in the central rift. The process of seafloor spreading along
divergent boundary may cause an ocean basin to grow wider, which takes over millions of years.
Some divergent boundaries can form on continents. A long and narrow depression called a rift
valley when the continental crust begins to stretch and separate. This rifting may eventually lead
to the formation of a new ocean basin. An example of this is the East African rift.

Since the crust along divergent boundaries are stretched, normal faults are associated with these
areas. Earthquakes with shallow focus (0-70 km deep) and a magnitude of less than 7 occur in
these regions.

Convergent(destructive) plate boundary

At a convergent plate boundary, two tectonic plates move toward each other. These two plates
are of different densities. When they converge, the denser plate sinks in to the mantle beneath
the less dense plate. This sinking process is called subduction.
 Subduction of an oceanic plate beneath a continental plate causes earthquakes and forms a line
of volcanoes known as a continental arc.

Types of Convergent Boundary

✓ Oceanic – Continental boundary -When a continental crust collides with an oceanic crust, the
oceanic plate goes beneath the continental plate because oceanic plate is denser.
✓ Oceanic –oceanic boundary – where one oceanic plate subducted under another oceanic plate
✓ Continental –continental boundary – where a continental plate collides with a second
continental plate

Transform plate boundary

At a transform plate boundary, two plates slide horizontally past each other as they move in
opposite directions. They could happen in both oceans and continents. California’s San
Andreas Fault is an example of this type.

At transform boundaries, the two tectonic plates grind past each other in a horizontal direction.
This movement results in a crack or fracture in the Earth’s crust called fault. Thus, transform
boundaries are responsible for earthquakes.

II. OBJECTIVES:
A. Define plate boundaries
B. Identify the different types of plate boundaries;
C. Describe each type of plate boundary.

III. ASSESSMENT:
Activity 1
Identify the term being described.
Plate Boundaries1. These are the edges where two plates meet.
Divergent plate boundary 2. It is located between two plates that are moving apart.
Convergent Plate boundary3. At this boundary, two tectonic plates move towards each other.
Transform Plate boundary4. At this boundary, two plates slide horizontally past each other as they
move in oppositedirections.
Converge 5. This process happens when the denser plate sinks into the mantle beneath the less
dense plate
Divergent plate boundary 6. It is a long and narrow depression that is formed when continental
crust begins tostretch and
separate.
Divergent plate boundary 7. It is a type of volcanic arc occurring as an “arc shape” topographic
high region along acontinental margin.
8-10 Types of Convergent Boundaries
Oceanic – Continental boundary 8. Oceanic plate converging
with oceanic plate
Oceanic –oceanic boundary 9. Oceanic plate converging with continental plate
Continental boundary10. Continental plate converging with continental plate
Activity No. 2
Describe the plate boundaries by filling in the table below.
Plate Boundary Type of Plates Topography Geologic Events Example/s
Involved
Divergent Tectonic plates Rift valley, mid ocean Earthquakes and East African rift
Ridges magma rises from the
earths mantle.
Convergent Tectonic plates Mountains Volcanic activity, The pacific ring of
earthquakes, fire
mountain formation
Transform Tectonic plates Faults Faults San Andrea’s fault

❖ Topography- e.g. Rift valley, mountains, mid-ocean ridge etc.

❖ Geologic Events – seafloor spreading, subduction, earthquakes etc.

IV. REFERENCE: Gregorio, Jay B.et al. 2018.Practical Science 10, .Diwa Learning Systems,
Inc., pp.6-10

V. GENERALIZATION:
Plate boundaries are the edges where two plates meet. Most geologic activities, including
volcanoes, earthquakes, and mountain building, take place at plate boundaries. There are three
types of plate boundaries: divergent; convergent; and transform plate boundaries.
A divergent boundary is a feature that exists when two tectonic plates move away from each
other. This may happen to both oceanic or both continental plates. This can result to the following:
rift valley formation; widening of the ocean basin; formation of mid-ocean ridges; and formation of
new ocean basin. Earthquakes with shallow focus (0-70 km deep) and a magnitude of less than 7
also occur in this region.
A convergent plate boundary is a place where two tectonic plates move toward each other. As
a result of pressure, friction, and plate material melting in the mantle. Earthquakes and volcanoes
are commonly experienced and found, respectively, near convergent boundaries. There are three
types of convergent boundaries, classified according to the type of crust/plate involved: 1. oceanic
plate converging with continental plate, 2. Oceanic plate converging with oceanic plate, and 3.
continental plate converging with continental plate.
A transform boundary is formed when two plates slide past each other horizontally. Transform
boundaries are responsible for earthquakes. Most transform boundaries are found on the ocean
floors, however, a few also occur on land. The San Andres fault zone in California is an example
of a transform boundary.

VI. INSTITUTIONAL CORE VALUES: Equity and Stewardship