TYPES OF PLATE BOUNDARIES

1 . DIVERGENT PLATE BOUNDARY

Occur when two plates move away from each other, a gap or rift between them is created. If the gap eventually widens, it then evolves into a rift valley. Divergent boundaries between oceanic plates produce mid-oceanic ridges, the mountain ranges formed underwater. In places where molten lava or magma can move up and fill the gap , volcanic islands are eventually formed. Molten lava that rises eventually cools and forms part of the ocean floor.

2 . CONVERGENT PLATE BOUNDARY

Occur when two plates slide toward each other and form either a subduction zone ( if one plate moves underneath the other ) or an orogenic belt ( if the two simply collide and compress ) . An orogenic belt is a region of deformed rocks. There are three kinds of convergence : oceanic-oceanic ( subduction zone is formed and pushes the continental plate upward , forming volcanoes ) , oceanic-continental ( subduction happens , forming volcanic islands and underwater volcanoes ), and continental-continental convergence ( no subduction happens , only forming mountain ranges ).

3. TRANSFORM PLATE BOUNDARY

In transform plate boundaries, the plates slide against one another in opposite directions. No mountains or volcanoes are produced. Instead, earthquakes result from the movement of plates and release massive amounts of energy.