What do collision plate boundaries form

The oceanic plate is forced under the lighter continental plate. Friction causes melting of the oceanic plate and may trigger earthquakes. Magma rises up through cracks and erupts onto the surface. An example of a destructive plate boundary is where the Nazca plate is forced under the South American Plate. Collision zones form when two continental plates collide.

Neither plate is forced under the other, and so both are forced up and form fold mountains. A constructive plate boundary, sometimes called a divergent plate margin , occurs when plates move apart. Today, these theories serve as the foundation upon which we understand the geologic processes that shape the Earth. Scientists look to these landforms and geologic events as evidence of plate tectonics, helping them both understand what happened in the past as well as predict what Earth will look like in the future.

The five activities in the Plate Tectonics module build a systems view of plate tectonics, engaging students in data exploration about plate boundaries and experimentation via computer-based models of plate motion. Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. Skip to content. Image by Naeblys. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom.

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This is called a collision boundary. Earthquakes can occur at collision boundaries. At a divergent plate boundary - also known as a constructive plate boundary, the plates move apart from one another. When this happens the magma from the mantle rises up to make or construct new crust. The movement of the plates over the mantle can cause earthquakes.

Rising magma can also create shield volcanoes. Landforms at a divergent plate boundary include ocean ridges , eg the Mid-Atlantic ridge where the Eurasian plate and the North Atlantic plate are moving apart from each other under the Atlantic Ocean , rift valleys eg the East African Rift Valley and shield volcanoes. At a conservative plate boundary , the plates slide past each other in opposite directions, or in the same direction but at different speeds.

As the plates try to move, friction occurs and plates become stuck.