Sarah Sherman

Mrs. Patty
Science H
11/21/16

Map Research Project

1. I claim that the Arabian plate and the Eurasian plate are examples of

convergent boundaries between two continental plates. I know this because

lots of high elevation is found here, around 800-3200 meters. This means

there are mountains occurring at the boundary. Also earthquakes are

happening. Mostly all shallow earthquakes ranging from 0-70 km deep. This

is a convergent boundary because only mountains can form at convergent

boundaries between two continental plates. Mountains occur here because

they are two continental plates that have the same density. One of the

plates isnt denser than the other plate so they cannot sub duct they have to

push upwards. Earthquakes happen here because the plates are pushing

against each other and colliding which has some grinding against each other.

These earthquakes dont happen deep in the ground because the plates are

colliding at the surface.

2. I claim that the Pacific and North American plates are examples of a

convergent boundary between an oceanic and a continental plate. I know

this because lots of earthquakes happen here that are close to the surface

and also deep in the ground. The closest to the surface range from 0-70 km

deep. The deepest in the ground range from 70-700km deep. Lots of

volcanoes occur here also. These earthquakes happen on land only.

Volcanoes are happening because the oceanic plates are sub ducting under
 the continental plates. The crust starts to melt when it sub ducts and the

magma rises through the continental plate creating volcanoes on land. Since

the grinding of the plates are happening below the surface, the earthquakes

are deeper and more dangerous. The earthquakes and the volcanoes

indicate that this is a convergent boundary because volcanoes cannot occur

at transform of divergent boundaries.

3. I claim that the Pacific and Australian plates are convergent boundaries

between two oceanic plates. I know this because earthquakes that are

shallow and deep occur here. The deep earthquakes range from 300-700 km.

The earthquakes that are closest to the surface are 0-33 km deep. Volcanoes

occur here because when its convergent between two oceanic plates, the

denser plate sub ducts underneath the less dense plate and then it melts the

crust to form magma and volcanic islands. Earthquakes happen at this

boundary because the older and denser plate is sub ducting under the

younger and less dense plate. These earthquakes in the ocean also cause

tsunamis because its forming big waves from the plates shifting.

4. I claim the Eurasian and Indian plates are convergent boundaries between

two continental plates. I know this because the elevation map shows the

plate boundary as the highest part which was 8,000 meters above sea level.

Also earthquakes occur here that are shallow and deep. The deep

earthquakes were 70- 300km deep. The highest to the surface were only 0-

33 km deep. Mountains can only occur at convergent boundaries when the

plates are both continental. Two continental plates are the same density so

one cant sub duct under the other, therefore mountains occur because they

are pushing and thrusting upwards. No volcanoes show here because

 volcanoes can only occur if the plates are different densities. Since the

Eurasian and Indian plates are both continental, the geography map shows

its the highest elevation, and the volcanology map shows that there are no

volcanoes, this indicates they are convergent boundaries between two

continental plates.

5. I claim that the Nazos and South American plate are examples of a

convergent boundary between and oceanic and a continental plate. I know

this because the volcanology map shows there are many volcanoes that

occur at the boundary. These volcanoes only happen on land. Another piece

of evidence is that there are shallow and deep earthquakes. These

earthquakes also only occur on land. The shallow earthquakes were only 0-

33km deep, but the boundary also had very deep earthquakes that were

300-700 km deep. The volcanoes only happened on land because when

subduction happens, the more dense plate sub ducts under the less dense

one. This means the oceanic plate sub ducts under the continental. This

creates the land volcanoes because its moving the magma up through the

continental. The earthquakes occur here because they are subduction so

that means the plates are hitting and grinding with each other.

6. I claim that the African and south American plates are divergent boundaries

between oceanic plates. New sea floor is shown on the geochronology map

between the plates. The youngest sea floor is 0.0-9.7 million years. The

oldest is 83.5- 120.4 million years old that is on the coast lines nearest to the

continental plate. The geography map shows the mid-oceanic ridge. Mid

oceanic ridges occur because when the tow oceanic plates diverge, magma

comes out of the middle. When the magma hardens, which is fairly quick, it
becomes new crust. The new crust pushes the older crust out and the older

crust meets with the continental is makes a convergent boundary. Since

there is new sea floor occurring because of this boundary I can infer that the

plates are a divergent boundary because this is the only boundary that new

crust is formed.