Plate Boundaries:

1. Definition: Plate boundaries are the areas where tectonic plates meet and interact with each
other.

• Types of interactions include separation, collision, and sliding past each other.

2. Plate movement: Tectonic plates move relative to each other due to forces generated by
mantle convection, gravitational pull, and other factors.

• This movement leads to the formation of different types of plate boundaries.

Divergent Boundaries:

1. Definition: Divergent boundaries occur where tectonic plates move apart from each other.

• This movement is typically associated with the upwelling of magma from the mantle.

2. Characteristics: a. Mid-Ocean Ridges:

• Underwater mountain ranges formed by divergent boundaries.

• Examples include the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the East Pacific Rise. b. Rift Valleys:

• Linear depressions on continents formed by the stretching and thinning of the

lithosphere.

• Examples include the East African Rift and the Basin and Range Province in North
America.

Convergent Boundaries:

1. Definition: Convergent boundaries occur where tectonic plates move toward each other and
collide.

• This movement often results in the destruction or deformation of crustal material.

2. Characteristics: a. Oceanic-Oceanic Convergence:

• One oceanic plate subducts beneath another, forming deep oceanic trenches and
volcanic island arcs. b. Oceanic-Continental Convergence:

• Oceanic plate subducts beneath a continental plate, leading to the formation of

coastal mountain ranges and volcanic arcs. c. Continental-Continental Convergence:

• Two continental plates collide, resulting in the uplift and folding of crustal material to
form large mountain ranges.

• Examples include the Himalayas and the Alps.

Mountain Formation and Convergent Boundaries:

1. Process: Mountain formation at convergent boundaries occurs through the collision and
compression of tectonic plates.

• This collision leads to the uplift of crustal material and the formation of large-scale
geological features.
 2. Examples: a. Andes Mountains:

• Formed by the subduction of the Nazca Plate beneath the South American Plate. b.
Himalayas:

• Formed by the collision of the Indian Plate with the Eurasian Plate. c. Alps:

• Formed by the collision of the African Plate with the Eurasian Plate.

Transform Fault Boundaries:

1. Definition: Transform fault boundaries occur where tectonic plates slide past each other
horizontally.

• This movement is characterized by strike-slip faulting.

2. Characteristics: a. Fault Lines:

• Prominent linear features marking the boundary between two plates.

• Examples include the San Andreas Fault in California. b. Earthquakes:

• Common along transform boundaries due to the release of accumulated stress from
plate movement. c. Offset Features:

• Features such as rivers, roads, and ridges may be offset along transform fault
boundaries, providing evidence of their presence.