Plate Tectonics: Processes that Occur along Plate Boundaries temperatures and process of partial melting begins.

partial melting begins. This partial melting produces

Earth is made up of three types of plate boundaries. These are
convergent, divergent, and transform boundaries. Each of these is made up of
continental and oceanic plates.
Convergent Plate Boundaries
Convergent plate boundaries are also known as destructive boundary;
plates tend to move towards each other, creating subduction, where the oceanic
lithosphere goes down the mantle. 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 lithosphere 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.
Oceanic plates are made up of heavier basalt, the result of magma flows from
mid-ocean ridges.
When plates converge, they do so in one of three settings:
 Oceanic plates collide with each other (oceanic-oceanic
boundaries).
 Oceanic plates collide with continental plates (oceanic-
continental boundaries).
 Continental plates collide with each other (continental-
continental boundaries).
magma chambers above the subduction oceanic plate.
For oceanic crust, one important geologic feature is formed, and that is
the trench. Also called submarine valleys, ocean trenches are the deepest part of
the ocean. One of the deepest is the Philippine trench with a depth of 10,540
meter.
Effects of a convergent boundary between an oceanic and continental
plate include:
 A zone of earthquake activity at varying depths
 Ocean trench
 Volcanic eruption
Oceanic – Oceanic Convergence
This is the process wherein two oceanic plate converge, having the same
process as that oceanic – continental convergence. Because the two plates are
almost of the same density, they form volcanic arches under the water that later
emerges as volcanic islands. Many parts of the Philippines originated from
oceanic – oceanic convergence.
Effect that are found at this type of plate boundary include:
 A zone of progressively deeper earthquakes
 An oceanic trench
 A chain of volcanic islands

Oceanic – Continental Convergence

When an oceanic plate converges with a continental plate, the thinner
and denser oceanic plate is overridden by the thicker and less dense continental
plate. The oceanic plate is forced down into the mantle in a process known as
‘subduction’. As the oceanic plate descends, it is force into higher temperature
environments. Materials in the subduction plate begin to approach their melting
Continental – Continental Convergence
Continental – continental convergence boundaries pit large slabs of crust
against each other. This results in little subduction, as most of the rocks is too
light to be carried extremely 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 rocks.

Divergent Plate Boundary

Formation of rift valleys and oceanic ridges are indications that the crust
is spreading or splitting apart. In this case, the plates are forming divergent
boundaries wherein they tend to move apart. Most divergent boundaries are
situated along underwater mountain ranges called oceanic ridges. As the plates
separate, new materials from the mantle ooze up to fill the gap. These materials
will slowly cool to produce a new ocean floor.

Transform Plate Boundary

In the transform fault, where plates slide past another without the
production or destruction of crust. Because the rocks are cut and displaced by
movement in opposite direction, rocks facing each other on two sides of the fault
are typically of different type and age. These are structures are so-called strike-
slip fault.

When strike-slip movement halts due to increased friction at some

location, stresses can build up that are released in sudden slips. These may result
in some of the most damaging earthquakes on continental crust. The San Andreas
Fault, the North Anatolian Fault (Turkey) or the Dolores-Guayaquil Mega Fault in
the Northern Andreas are some of the examples of huge strike-slip faults
transecting continental crust.