The 3 Types of Faults Gautam Sanka

Plates The earth is broken into seven large and moving plates. The plates are about an average 50 miles thick They typically move about a couple of inches each year.

Major Tectonic Plates

3 Types of Plate Boundaries Convergent Boundaries- are when two plates move toward each other and collide When an Oceanic plate collides with a continental plate, the oceanic plate goes beneath the continental plate. This is called Subduction. Ex. Nazca and South American Plate Subduction also forms trenches Convergent Boundary Trench

Boundaries contn. When two continental plates collide, they form mountain ranges. Ex. When the Indian plate converged with the Eurasian plate, it formed the Himalayas.

Boundaries contn. Divergent Boundaries are where plates move away from each other. Ex. Mid-Ocean Ridge Where plates diverge, hot, molten rock rises and cools adding new material to the edges of the oceanic plates. This is known as Sea-floor Spreading.

Boundaries contn. Transform Fault-Boundaries are where plates move past each other. Ex. San Andreas Fault