Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Region V
SCHOOLS Division of Camarines Sur

SCIENCE 10

Name : ______________________________________________ Quarter: 1st Week : 5

Grade Level/Section: _________________________________ Date: _______________________

CONVERGING PLATE BOUNDARY (CONTINENTAL AND OCEANIC)

I. Introductory Concept
A convergent plate boundary is a location where two tectonic plates are
moving toward each other, often causing one plate to slide below the other (subduction).
The collision of tectonic plates can result in earthquakes, volcanoes, the formation of
mountains, and other geological events.

Earth's surface is made up of two types of lithospheric plates: continental and

oceanic. The crust that makes up continental plates is thicker yet less dense than oceanic
crust because of the lighter rocks and minerals that compose it. When plates converge, it
can result in three settings: oceanic plates collide with each other (forming oceanic-
oceanic boundaries), oceanic plates collide with continental plates (forming oceanic-
continental boundaries), or continental plates collide with each other (forming continental-
continental boundaries).

When two oceanic plates collide (oceanic-oceanic boundaries), the denser plate
sinks below the lighter plate and eventually forms dark, heavy, basaltic volcanic islands.
When oceanic plates are subducted, they often bend, resulting in the formation of
oceanic trenches. These often run parallel to volcanic arcs and extend deep beneath the
surrounding terrain.

When oceanic and continental plates collide (oceanic-continental boundaries), the

oceanic plate undergoes subduction and volcanic arcs arise on land. These volcanoes
release lava with chemical traces of the continental crust they rise through. Oceanic plates
are denser than continental plates, which means they have a higher subduction potential.
They are constantly being pulled into the mantle, where they are melted and recycled into
new magma.

Continental-continental convergent boundaries pit large slabs of crust against each

other. This results in very little subduction, as most of the rock is too light to be carried very
far down into the dense mantle. Instead, the continental crust at these convergent
boundaries gets folded, faulted, and thickened, forming great mountain chains of uplifted
rock. Magma cannot penetrate this thick crust rather it cools intrusively and forms granite.

II. Learning Skills/Competency

Explain the different processes that occur along the plate boundaries. (S10ES –laj-36.3)

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III. Activities:
ACTIVITY 1: HEAD-ON COLLISION

Direction: Study the figure showing a cross-sectional diagram of plates that are converging,
and answer the questions that follow.

Source: Department of Education, Bureau of Secondary Education (2015), Grade 10 Science Learners
Material, Rex Book Store Inc., 16

Figure 1. Cross-sectional diagram of converging plates.

Guide Questions:
1. What type of plate is Plate A? What about Plate B? Why do you say so?

2. Describe what happens to Plate A as it collides with Plate B? Why?

3. What do you think may happen to the leading edge of Plate A as it continues
to move downward? Why?

4. What do you call this molten material?

5. What is formed on top of Plate B?

6. As the plates continue to grind against each other, what other geologic
event could take place?

ACTIVITY 2: CONVERGENCE OF TWO OCEANIC PLATES

Direction: Study the figure below showing oceanic-oceanic convergence of plates,

then, answer the questions that follow.

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 Source: https://dr282zn36sxxg.cloudfront.net/datastreams/fd%3A42169ca183d2b623c849bb176d06
0e86c6f07f1a67e157667c621686%2BIMAGE_TINY%2BIMAGE_TINY.1

Figure 2. Oceanic to oceanic convergence of plates.

Guide Questions:
1. What type of plate boundary movement is shown in the picture?

2. Enumerate the different geologic events/processes that happen when two

oceanic plates collide.

3. What geologic feature is/are formed?

ACTIVITY 3: HEAD ON COLLISION

Direction: Study the picture below then answer the questions that follow.

Source: https://ph.images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=AwrxhSQDzNdeLhAAx0TfSQx.;_ylu=X3oDMT
B0N2poMXRwBGNvbG8Dc2czBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlY

Figure 3. Collision of plate boundaries

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 Guide Questions:
1. What type of convergent plate boundary is shown?

2. What happened when the two plates move towards each other?

3. How do you compare the two plates In terms of their thickness?

Source: https://dr282zn36sxxg.cloudfront.net/datastreams/fd%3Afe0ff43d02276e0fadfe9495eb07caf
9fd58774d4ad91368303cf431%2BIMAGE_THUMB_POSTCARD_TINY%2BIMAGE_THUMB_POSTCARD_TINY.1

Figure 4. Continental to continental convergence

4. What type of convergence of plate boundary is shown in the picture?

5. What geologic features formed with this type of plate movement?

IV. References
 Science-Grade 10 Learner’s Module. Legazpi City: Department of Education.

 https://www.ck12.org/earth-science/continent-continent-convergent-plate-
boundaries/lesson/Continent-Continent-Convergent-Plate-Boundaries-HS-ES/

 https://www.thoughtco.com/convergent-plate-boundaries-3866818

Prepared by:
JOHN B. SAN AGUSTIN
Writer
Quality Assured by:
EMILY B. ESMABE
Education Program Supervisor-1, Science
Address: Freedom Sports Complex, San Jose, Pili, Camarines Sur
Email: deped.camsur@deped.gov.ph
Website: www.depedcamsur.com
Telephone No.: (telefax) 8713340

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 ANSWER KEY

ACTIVITY 1: HEAD-ON COLLISION

Guide Questions:
1. What type of plate is Plate A? What about Plate B? Why do you say so?
- Plate A is an oceanic plate because it is thinner compared to plate B. While
Plate B is a continental plate because it is thicker and floats higher than the
other plate. Oceanic plate is denser compared to continental plate, which
you can see in the picture denser plate A will subduct beneath less dense
plate B.

2. Describe what happens to Plate A as it collides with Plate B? Why?

- When the Plate A and Plate B collide, a volcanic arc forms at the continental
plate edge. The reasons why are:
• The oceanic plate is denser than the continental crust.
• That is why the Plate A or the oceanic plate's crust goes below towards the
mantle.
• Because the mantle is very hot, the crust melts and forms into magma.
• The magma goes out of the volcanic arc.
• Also, when the oceanic plate and the continental plate collide, an
earthquake happens.
(Other related answers may vary)

3. What do you think may happen to the leading edge of Plate A as it continues
to move downward? Why?
- As plate A continues to move downwards going to the mantle. The leading
edge of plate A will melt and turns into magma. Magma rise up to the
surface to form volcanoes. The leading-edge melts due to high temperature
in the mantle which capable of melting the lithosphere. (Other related
answers may vary)

4. What do you call this molten material?

- Magma

5. What is formed on top of Plate B?

- Volcanoes

6. As the plates continue to grind against each other, what other geologic
event could take place?
- A mountain range or another high type of land, Trenches, Earthquake,
Sinkholes, in the ocean, Tsunami.

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 ACTIVITY 2: CONVERGENCE OF TWO OCEANIC PLATES

Guide Questions:
4. What type of plate boundary movement is shown in the picture?
- Convergent plate boundary

5. Enumerate the different geologic events/processes that happen when two

oceanic plates collide.
- If two tectonic plates collide, they form a convergent plate boundary. Usually,
one of the converging plates will move beneath the other, a process known
as subduction. Deep trenches are features often formed where tectonic
plates are being subducted and earthquakes are common. As the sinking
plate moves deeper into the mantle, fluids are released from the rock
causing the overlying mantle to partially melt. The new magma (molten rock)
rises and may erupt violently to form volcanoes, often building arcs of islands
along the convergent boundary. (Other related statement/answers are
acceptable)

6. What geologic feature is/are formed?

- Trenches and volcanoes

ACTIVITY 3: HEAD ON COLLISION

Guide Questions:
6. What type of convergent plate boundary is shown?
- Continental-continental

7. What happened when the two plates move towards each other?
- The plates buckled upward

8. How do you compare the two plates In terms of their thickness?

- The two plates are of the same thickness

9. What type of convergence of plate boundary is shown in the picture?

- Continental-continental convergence

10. What geologic features formed with this type of plate movement?
- Mountain ranges, high plateau

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