Mod+5.6+-+Julia+B

= __Dynamic Earth__ = = On the Earth, there are three main types of plate boundaries. They are called Divergent, Convergent, and Transform. These plates make up the lithosphere and also include the crust and outer-shell of the mantle. The six main plates on the earth are the **North American, African, Antarctic, South American, Eurasian,** and the **Pacific.** The main plates move about five inches per year. So, that means that a plate moving two inches per year will move thirty miles in 1,000,000,000,000 years! =


 * __divergent__ - magma rises and pushes plates apart
 * __convergent__ - a plate collides with or drives under another
 * __transform__ - two plates grind against each other

__**Convergent Boundaries**__
 * process; sea-floor spreading
 * mid-ocean ridges
 * rift valleys[[image:Convergentplateboundary1.jpg width="143" height="115" align="right" caption="Convergent Plate Boundary"]]
 * earthquake activity at fracture zones along mid-ocean ridges
 * volcanic activity
 * (ex.) Mid-Atlantic Ridge
 * (ex.) East Pacific Rise

__**Divergent Boundaries**__
 * process; ocean-continent subduction
 * process; continent-continent subduction
 * deep-sea trenches
 * volcanic island arcs[[image:divergentboundary3.jpg align="right" caption="Divergent Plate Boundary"]]
 * earthquake activity
 * deep-sea trench bordering continent
 * earthquake activity
 * high continental mountain chains
 * earthquake activity
 * (ex.) islands of Indonesia
 * (ex.) Mariana Islands
 * (ex.) western coast of South America
 * (ex.) Himalayas

__**Transform Boundaries**__
 * process; plates sliding past each other
 * earthquake activity
 * (ex.) San Andreas Fault
 * (ex.) North Anatolian Fault [Turkey]
 * (ex.) fracture zones along mid-ocean ridges

__**So Why do Plates** **Move?!**__ Plates move due to Mantle Convection! Convection is responsible for heat rising over a cooler gas or liquid. So the core of the earth is hot and the crust is cold. The lower mantle is so hot that it rises, but cools when it's by the crust so it starts sinking again.

__**Citations**__ __[|Convergentplateboundary1.jpg]__ sharonyau1995,. //Convergent Boundaries//. 2009. //Flickr//. Web. 3 Nov. 2009. <[|__http://www.flickr.com/photos/35324602@N04/3290644794/__]>.

__[|divergentboundary3.jpg]__ Sharonyau1995,. //Divergent Boundaries//. 2009. //Flickr//. Web. 3 Nov. 2009. <[|__http://www.flickr.com/photos/35324602@N04/3290644828/__]>.

__[|transform2.jpg]__ //Transform Boundary//. //Nature Gallery (Earth)//. Web. 4 Nov. 2009. < [|__http://www.pacificislandtravel.com/nature_gallery/platetectonics.html__] >. __[|plateboundaries1.jpg]__ Michellelovespink26,. //Plate boundaries//. 2009. //Flickr//. Web. 3 Nov. 2009. <[|__http://www.flickr.com/photos/michellelovespink26/3286789285/__]>.

Plate Tectonics, National Geographic. 2009. November 6th 09. __[] __

Anissimov, Michael. Wise Geek. What is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge?, conjecture corporation. November 8th 2009. __[] __