Tectonic plates

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  • Created by: Ruby0123
  • Created on: 03-10-21 13:21
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  • Tectonic plates
    • destructive
      • these are where two plates are moving towards each other
      • where an oceanic plate meets a continental plate, the denser oceanic plate is subducted (forced down into the mantle) and destroyed, creating a gas-rich magma
        • eg. along the west coast of south america, the oceanic Nazca plate is being subducted underneath the continental South American plate, forming the Atacama Trench
        • volcanoes and ocean trenches occur here
    • constructive
      • constructive margins are where two plates are moving away from each other
      • -magma rises from the mantle to fill the gap and cools, creating new crust
      • eg. the movement of the Eurasian plate and the North American plate away from one another is forming the Mid-Atlantic ridge
    • conservative
      • conservative margins are where two plates are moving sideways past each other or are moving in the same direction but at different speeds.
      • crust isn't created or destroyed
    • collision
      • where two continental plates meet, the ground is folded upwards
        • creating fold mountains
    • basics
      • the earths crust (its outer layer) is divided into slabs called tectonic plates that float on the mantle (layer of semi-molten rock)
        • the earths surface are made up of huge floating slabs/ plates that are constantly moving
          • the places where plates meet are called plate boundaries or plate margins
      • the plates are moving because of convection currents in the mantle
        • plates are made out of 2 types of crust
        • oceanic
          • thinner (5-10km)
            • denser
        • continental
          • thicker (30-60km)
            • less dense

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