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This video sums up how tectonic plates are formed.
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the three tYpes of tectonic pLates
How are landforms created from tectonic plates?
Convergent:
The largest landforms are created by compression at convergent plate boundaries. This is when two plates are colliding. Convergent plates will only move about an inch to an inch and a half a year. Although when they do move, it is at a rapid speed applying a lot of force. This is how landforms are produced. Convergent plates can create landforms such as mountain chains and deep valleys. Places like the Himalaya Moutains are made from convergent plates. In fact the Himalayas were made from the Indian plate and Eurasian plate colliding, although the tectonic plates are still moving. Transform: Transform plates also produce landforms. For example San Andreas Fault in California. San Andreas Fault was made from two plates sliding past one another horizontally. These two plates are called the North America plate and the Pacific plate. Other landforms, such as sharp cliffs, are created when an earthquake happens during the plates sliding. |
The photo above is an example of subduction which is when two plates collide. Usually one plate is forced under the other forming volcanic mountains, mountain chains and ocean trenches.
Divergent:
This is when plates move apart which normally produces a lot of tension. All of which stretches the crust. In the gap between the two plates, hot rock from the mantle rises pushing up the sea floor. In this process landforms like mud-ocean ridges and large fresh water lakes are made. Transform: |