Plate boundary types

• When two plates are moving away from each other, causing material to sink, making fault.
• Displayed at mid-ocean ridges.
• Here occurs large numbers of shallow focus/low magnitude events.
• Creates rift volcanoes- less explosive

- creates oceanic crust
- creates little/no risk earthquakes

Examples: - Mid-Atlantic Ridge
                  - Pacific plate and the Nazca plate 

• The denser plate (oceanic) goes under the less dense (continental) plate.
• The melted oceanic plate moves up the vent and this forming a volcano.
• These can create tsunamis if there is a small slip of the plate.
• The subduction zone is where the two plates meet.

Examples:- Nazca plate is forced under the South American plate.

• Two plates are moving towards each other.
• This pushing sediment up and forming fold mountains.
• They are infrequent but dangerous

Examples: Fold mountains
- Himalayas
- Andes
- African plate colliding the Eurasion plate= The Alps

• Two plates are moving past each other which causes friction.
• The two plates can be moving either in the same or different directions and at different speeds.
• Here the movement is horizontal
  -Sinistral (to the left)
  -Dextral (to the right)
• Doesnt create volcanoes
• Creates earthquakes

Examples: - Pacific plate and North American plate= San Andreas fault