TYPES OF PLATE BOUNDARIES (CONVERGENT) Convergent boundaries: Subduction
● Where oceanic crust meets oceanic crust
Types of Plate Boundaries ● Where oceanic crust meets continental crust
● Subduction in Convergent Plate Boundary
● When continental and oceanic plates collide,
the thinner and more dense 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 forced
into higher temperature environments. At a
depth of about 100 miles (160 km), materials
in the subducting plate begin to approach
their melting temperatures and a process of
partial melting begins.
Which way are the plates moving?
Example (subduction)
- Mt. St. Helens - Juan de Fuca plate goes
under the North American Plate.
Convergent Boundaries: Collision
When 2 plates meet: ● When the 2 plates are the same material.
1. They can crash together = Convergent ● When they hit, they both buckle up (this
Boundary makes mountains).
2. They can move away from each other = ● The two plates have the same density, they
Divergent Boundary buckle up and move to a higher elevation.
3. They can slide past each other = ● Features: Earthquakes, Folded Mountains
Sliding/Transform Boundary ● Where continental crust meets continental
crust.
Convergent Plate Boundaries
● Oceanic-oceanic convergence
● Oceanic-Continental convergence
● Continental-Continental convergence
Convergent Plate Boundaries
● Convergent plate boundaries are locations
where lithospheric plates are moving towards
one another.
● Convergent Boundaries can either be:
- Subduction zone Example (collision)
- Collision zone - Mt. Everest, Himalayas (the plates are still
colliding and gaining Elevation)
Convergent Boundaries
● There are two types of Convergent Collision Zone
Boundaries: ● A collision zone occurs when tectonic plates
- Subduction meet at a convergent boundary both bearing
- Collision continental lithosphere.
Convergent Boundaries: Subduction
● When one plate is more dense than another,
the more dense plate goes underneath the
less dense plate.
● One plate goes under the other
● Features that occur: Earthquakes,
Volcanoes, Ocean Trench
Continental-Continental Convergence
● In this type of convergent boundary, a
powerful collision occurs. The two thick
continental plates collide, and both of them
have a density that is much lower than the
mantle, which prevents subduction (there
may be a small amount of subduction, or the
heavier lithosphere below the continental
crust might break free from the crust and
subduct).
● Fragments of crust or continental margin
sediments might be caught in the collision
zone between the continents, forming a
highly deformed melange of rock. The intense
compression can also cause extensive
folding and faulting of rocks within the two
colliding plates. This deformation can extend
hundreds of miles into the plate interior.
Features of Convergent Plate Boundaries
● Trenches - 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 meters.
● Varying depth of earthquake
● Tsunami
● Volcanic island arc
● Mountain ranges
Features of Convergent Plate Boundaries
● The subduction of plate can cause
earthquakes at varying depths. Most parts of
the world experience occasional shallow
earthquakes – where the focus is within 60
km of the Earth’s surface.
● Of the total energy released by
earthquakes,85% comes from shallow
earthquakes.
● Meanwhile, about 12% of energy originates
from intermediate earthquakes or those
quakes with a focal depth range of 60 to 300
km.
● Lastly, are the deep earthquakes whose
origin is more than 300 km to 700 km below
the Earth’s surface.
● The leading edge of the subducted plate will
eventually reach the mantle causing it to melt
and turn into magma. The molten material will
rise to the surface creating a volcanic island
arc parallel to the trench. Volcanic island arc
is a chain of volcanoes positioned in an arc
shape.
