How many transform boundaries are there

Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives. These tectonic plates rest upon the convecting mantle, which causes them to move. The movements of these plates can account for noticeable geologic events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and more subtle yet sublime events, like the building of mountains.

Teach your students about plate tectonics using these classroom resources. Explore the boundaries between Earth's tectonic plates with MapMaker, National Geographic's classroom interactive mapping tool. In , after decades of tediously collecting and mapping ocean sonar data, scientists began to see a fairly accurate picture of the seafloor emerge.

The Tharp-Heezen map illustrated the geological features that characterize the seafloor and became a crucial factor in the acceptance of the theories of plate tectonics and continental drift.

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.

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Alden, Andrew. What Happens at Transform Boundaries? Map of Tectonic Plates and Their Boundaries. Geologic Faults What Is It? What are the Different Kinds? Measuring Plate Motion in Plate Tectonics. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is an example of divergent plate boundaries. When two plates come together, it is known as a convergent boundary. The impact of the colliding plates can cause the edges of one or both plates to buckle up into a mountain ranges or one of the plates may bend down into a deep seafloor trench.

A chain of volcanoes often forms parallel to convergent plate boundaries and powerful earthquakes are common along these boundaries. The Pacific Ring of Fire is an example of a convergent plate boundary. At convergent plate boundaries, oceanic crust is often forced down into the mantle where it begins to melt.

Magma rises into and through the other plate, solidifying into granite, the rock that makes up the continents.