Plate Boundaries: Pull Apart, Meet, or Slide Past
Where two tectonic plates meet, dramatic things happen: mountains rise, oceans widen, volcanoes erupt, and earthquakes strike. These meeting places are called plate boundaries, and there are just three kinds. Learning them explains most of Earth’s major geologic activity and is a reliable test topic.
This lesson covers the three types of plate boundaries and what each produces.
A plate boundary is where two tectonic plates meet. At a divergent boundary, plates pull apart. At a convergent boundary, plates push together. At a transform boundary, plates slide past each other. Each type creates different landforms and geologic activity.
What happens at divergent and convergent boundaries?
At a divergent boundary, two plates move apart. As they separate, magma rises to fill the gap and hardens into new crust, which is how mid-ocean ridges form and oceans slowly widen. At a convergent boundary, two plates push together. When they collide, one plate may slide beneath the other in a process called subduction, forming deep trenches, volcanoes, and mountain ranges. The Himalayas rose from two continents colliding.
| Boundary | Plate motion | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Divergent | Pull apart | New crust, mid-ocean ridges |
| Convergent | Push together | Mountains, volcanoes, trenches |
| Transform | Slide past | Earthquakes |
What happens at a transform boundary?
At a transform boundary, two plates grind past each other sideways. They do not create or destroy crust, but the friction between them builds up stress until it releases suddenly as an earthquake. California’s San Andreas Fault is a famous transform boundary, which is why that region has frequent quakes. Transform boundaries are defined by shaking rather than volcanoes or new mountains.
Watch: A Short Video Lesson
California Academy of Sciences walks through this skill clearly in a few minutes. It is a helpful companion to the reading above:
A routine for plate boundary questions
- Identify the motion: apart, together, or sliding past.
- Apart is divergent, making new crust and ridges.
- Together is convergent, making mountains, volcanoes, and trenches.
- Sliding past is transform, causing earthquakes.
- Match the landform or activity to the boundary type.
Practice questions
- What type of boundary forms new crust as plates pull apart?
- What is it called when one plate slides beneath another?
- Which boundary type is most associated with earthquakes but not volcanoes?
- What kind of boundary formed the Himalayas?
- Name the famous transform boundary in California.
- True or false: divergent boundaries push plates together.
Answers:
- Divergent.
- Subduction.
- Transform.
- A convergent boundary (two continents colliding).
- The San Andreas Fault.
- False. Divergent boundaries pull plates apart.
Where this fits
Plate boundaries build on continental drift and the plates, and the stress they create leads to earthquakes, faults, and seismic waves and to volcanoes and mountains. Find all topics on the ASVAB General Science Learning Hub.
Recommended Prep Books
These study guides and practice books help you keep building momentum as you prepare:
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