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1. Two plates are
pushed together and
the heavier (dense)
oceanic crust gets
subducted beneath
the lighter (less
dense) continental
crust
Nazca Plate
Oceanic Crust
2. The oceanic plate
sticks and locks as it
tries to slide under
the continental plate
3. Heat from friction and
the mantle starts to melt
the subducted plate
South American Plate
Continental Crust
Violent
Volcano
Earthquake
Paricutin Volcano is
situated about 200
miles west of Mexico
City. 1000 people died
following one of its last
major eruptions in 1949
Pacific Plate
Oceanic Crust
San Andreas
The
fault
1. The two plates
are sliding in the
same direction.
However the Pacific
plate is moving
faster
2. As the plates slide past
each other they snag.
3. Pressure and tension builds
up as the plates lock together
4. Eventually the plates break
causing a sudden surge forward
San Andreas Fault is a
line of weakness that runs a
length of roughly 810 miles
California in the USA.
North American
Plate
Continental Crust
Earthquake
Zone
On April 18th 1906 at 5:15
am an earthquake measuring
8.25 on the Richter scale hit
San Francisco
1. Two continental
plates crash into
each other
Fold
Mountains
Everest was formed
about 60 million years
ago. It is 8850m high.
2. As they
collide they
trigger
earthquakes
3. The rocks
between the plates
get pushed up and
folded
Eurasian
Earthquake
Collision
Plate
Boundary Zone
Continental Crust
IndoAustralian
Plate
Continental
Crust
1. Two plates move
apart from each other
2. A gap
appears and
molten magma
rises to fill the
gap
3. This solidifies
to create new
rocks on the sea
bed
Surtsey is a volcanic island of
the southern coast of Iceland.
It was formed in a volcanic
eruption which reached the
surface on 14 November 1963.
The eruption lasted until 5 June
1967.
North American
Volcanic
Plate
Islands
Continental Crust
4. Over time the layers
of new rock build up and
break through the
surface of the ocean
Convection currents
Eurasian
Plate
Continental
Crust