P L A TE B O U ND A R IE S

DIVERGENT PLATE BOUNDARIES

• Are zones in earth’s crust where the
plates move away from each other.

• Is also known as the spreading centers.

• Are considered constructive margins
because it's where the new ocean floor
is generated.

• Elevated areas in the seafloor forms

mountain system called the mid-ocean
ridge.
SEAFLOOR SPREADING
• It is a continuous process occurring in
mid-oceanic ridges in which both sides of
the ridge move apart, causing
decompression melting and widening
(i.E., Spreading) of the seafloor.

• Rate of seafloor spreading in mid-oceanic

ridges is 5 cm per year.
CONVERGENT PLATE BOUNDARIES
• Are areas where tectonic plates move
towards each other.

• Are often associated with subduction

zones, where oceanic crust descends
towards the mantle due to differences in
density of the subducting plate, the
asthenosphere, and the overriding plate.
• Subduction is the primary process operating in oceanic convergent
margins.

• Oceanic lithosphere is destroyed along trenches and is recycled back

into the asthenosphere.

• Arcs are long, sublinear chains of volcanoes following the orientation of

ocean trenches.
TYPES OF CONVERGENT PLATE BOUNDARIES
• Oceanic-continental convergent margins, the denser oceanic crust
subducts under the lighter continental crust. This process forms
continental volcanic arcs .

• Oceanic-oceanic convergent margins, the older and much denser plate

subducts under the younger plate. This process forms volcanic island
arcs.

• Continental-continental convergent margins, the buoyancy of

continental lithosphere inhibits subduction. This process forms mountain
ranges