Tectonic Plate Motion
The majority of movement of tectonic plates occurs at the plate boundaries; these are narrow zones between the plates where the tectonic forces are most evident.
There are four different types of tectonic plate boundaries.
- Convergent Boundaries - Plates coming together
- Divergent Boundaries - Plates moving apart
- Transform Boundaries - Plates moving side by side or sliding past each other
- Plate Boundary Zones - Areas where boundaries are poorly defined and the effects
of plate interactions unclear.
The different types of tectonic plate motions are explained in the animation below: