Plate Tectonics Lab

February 2015

Types

of

Pla

te

Boundari

es

ConvergentDivergentTransform Subduction

Conve

rgent

• Where two plates are

colliding• Example: Himalayas

between Eurasian Plate and Indian Plate

Div

erg

ent

• Where two plates are

moving away from each other• Example: East African

Rift

Transf

orm

• Where two plates are

sliding past each other• Example: San Andreas

Fault along the west

coast of California

Subduct

ion

• A type of convergent

boundaries where one

plate is moving under

another one• Example: The Andes in

South America where

the Nazca Plate is moving under the South

American Plate

Act

ivit

y

• Gather supplies• Wax paper• Graham crackers – Continental plates

• Fruit roll up pieces – ocean

plates• Frosting - asthenosphere

• Using the supplies make

examples of each of the 4

types of plate boundaries

• Draw each situation in

your notebook

Act

ivit

y co

nti

nued

• For divergent: start with the

two pieces of crackers close

together then move them

apart• For transform: start with the

two pieces of crackers close

together and slide one up and

one down• For subduction: use the fruit

roll up piece and slide it under

one of the crackers• For convergent: wet the side

of one of the crackers, slide

the wet side into the side of

another cracker

Act

ivit

y Q

uesi

ons

1.Explain the strong points of how this model is a good model for understanding

tectonic plate movement.2.Explain the weak

points of how this model is a poor example for understanding

tectonic plate movement.