PLATE BOUNDARIES are the lines at the edges of the different pieces of the

lithosphere. And Lithospheric plates are moving due to the convection current in the
Earth’s interior.
There are two types of crust:
 Continental Crust – thicker but less dense
 Oceanic Crust – thinner and denser
The Earth’s lithosphere moves slowly and constantly over time. It rides on a warmer,
softer layer of the mantle called ASTHENOSPHERE. This movement causes the
formation of plate boundaries. Namely, divergent, convergent, and transform plate
boundaries.
DIVERGENT BOUNDARY happens when two tectonic plates move away from each
other and when magma or molten rock escapes or rises from the earth’s mantle to the
surface or into the space between the spreading tectonic plates. Divergent boundaries
can form within continents but will eventually open up and become ocean basins. On
land divergent boundaries within continents initially produce rifts which produce rift
valleys. The most well-known rift valley on Earth is probably the so-called “Great Rift
Valley System” which stretches from the Middle East and the North to Mozambique in
the South.
The most active diversion plate boundaries are between oceanic plates and are often
called Mid-Oceanic Ridges. One example is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. An undersea chain
of mountains that formed as two pairs of tectonic plates spread apart.
CONVERGENT BOUNDARY happens when two plates are colliding. Collision can take
place between two continental plates, two oceanic plates, or continental and oceanic
plates. Typically a conversion plate boundary such as the one between the Indian Plate
and the Eurasian plate forms towering mountain ranges like the Himalaya as the Earth’s
crust is crumpled and pushed upward. IN some cases a conversion plate boundary can
result in one tectonic plate diving underneath another. This process is called Subduction
which involves an older, denser tectonic plate being forced deep into the planet
underneath a younger, less dense tectonic plate.
When this process occurs in the ocean a trench can form. Mariana Trench is the
deepest part of the ocean and the deepest location on Earth which is 11,034 meters
deep.
TRANSFORM PLATE BOUNDARY happens when two plates slide past each other.
The relative motion of the plate is horizontal that can occur underwater or on land and
cross is neither destroyed nor created. Because of friction the plates can not simply
glide past each other rather stress builds up in both plates and when it exceeds the
threshold of the rocks the energy is released causing Earthquakes. A well-know
transform plates boundary is the San Andreas Fault which is responsible for many of
California’s earthquakes.