This document describes the three main types of plate boundaries: divergent boundaries, convergent boundaries, and transform boundaries. It provides examples of specific tectonic plates involved in each type of boundary and the resulting landforms, including mid-ocean ridges, rift valleys, oceanic trenches, fold mountains, and volcanoes. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are phenomena that can occur at some, but not all, types of plate boundaries.

1. Plate
boundary
Types of plate(s)
involved
Specific examples
(e.g. name of plates)
Diagram to show what happens Resulting landforms Phenomenon (yes/no?)
Volcanic eruption EQs
1. Divergent (a) Oceanic crust –
Oceanic crust
(OC-OC)
North American Plate
& Eurasian Plate
or
South American Plate
& Eurasian Plate
 Mid-Oceanic Ridge
(e.g. Mid-Atlantic Ridge)
 Undersea Volcanoes
 Volcanic Islands
Yes Yes
(b) Continental crust –
Continental crust
(CC-CC)
Nubian Plate &
Somalian Plate
(in Africa)
 Rift Valley (e.g. East
African Rift Valley)
 Volcanoes
Yes Yes
2. Convergent (a) Oceanic crust –
Oceanic crust
(OC-OC)
Philippine plate &
Pacific Plate
 Oceanic Trench
(e.g. Mariana Trench)
 Volcanoes
Yes Yes
(b) Continental crust –
Continental crust
(CC-CC)
Indian Plate &
Eurasian Plate
 Fold Mountains
(e.g. Himalayas)
No Yes
(c) Oceanic crust –
Continental crust
(OC-CC)
Nazca Plate &
South American Plate
 Oceanic Trench
(e.g. Peru Chile Trench)
 Fold Mountains
(e.g. Andes Mountains)
 Volcanoes
Yes Yes
3. Transform Continental crust –
Continental crust
(CC-CC)
Pacific Plate &
North American Plate
- No Yes