Convergent Boundaries

• cool rock subjected to compressional stress

• longest amount of time to accumulate stress before strain (brittle deformation) occurs

• largest maximum earthquake size

• has lots of earthquakes

• large mountain ranges

• has oceanic oceanic and continental continental convergent boundaries

  • extensive volcanism

  • volcanism: chains of volcanoes

Transform Boundaries

• warm to cool rock subjected to shear stress

• moderate amount of time to accumulate stress before strain (brittle deformation) occurs

• moderate maximum earthquake size

• move laterally (side to side)

• lithosphere is neither created or destroyed

• lots of small to medium sized earthquakes

• there are no volcanoes here

Divergent Boundaries

• hot rock subjected to tensional stress

• shortest amount of time to accumulate stress before strain (brittle deformation) occurs

• smallest maximum earthquake size

• plates spread or move apart

• mid-ocean ridges are divergent boundaries

  • all mid-ocean ridges are divergent boundaries, but not all divergent boundaries are mid-ocean ridges

• lots of small earthquakes

• lots of volcanoes

• generally, non-threatening