Plate Margin Destructive Constructive Collision Conservative Type of crust Oceanic and

continental Continental Continental Continental

Direction of plate movement

Oceanic crust moves towards continental crust but being heavier sinks and is destroyed, forming deep sea trenches and island arcs with volcanoes.

Two plates move away from each other. New oceanic crust appears, forming mid-ocean ridges with volcanoes.

Two continental crusts collide and as neither can sink, are forced up into fold mountains.

Two plates move sideways past each other – land is neither formed nor destroyed.

Example of location Nazca and South American plate, Juan de Fuca and the North American plate

Mid-Atlantic Ridge, e.g. Iceland

Indo-Australian and Eurasian Plates, e.g. Himalayas

Pacific and North American Plate, e.g. San Andreas, California

EARTHQUAKE Violent * * * Less violent

*

Rare VOLCANO Violent * None None

Less violent

*

Rare Destructive plate boundary

Constructive plate boundary

Collision zone

Conservative plate boundary