Tectonic plate boundaries, earthquake and volcano formation, and the Ring of Fire explained conceptually.
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- What are tectonic plates?
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Large sections of the Earth's crust and upper mantle that move slowly across the planet- How many major tectonic plates exist?
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Seven major plates (plus several minor ones)- Name the three types of plate boundaries
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Convergent, divergent, and transform boundaries- What happens at a divergent plate boundary?
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Two plates move apart and new crust forms between them- What happens at a convergent plate boundary?
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Two plates collide and move toward each other- What happens at a transform plate boundary?
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Two plates slide past each other horizontally- What is the Ring of Fire?
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A horseshoe-shaped belt of intense volcanic and seismic activity surrounding the Pacific Ocean- What percentage of the world's active volcanoes are in the Ring of Fire?
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Approximately 75 percent- What is magma?
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Molten rock beneath the Earth's surface- What is lava?
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Magma that has erupted onto the Earth's surface- Where do most volcanoes form?
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Along plate boundaries, especially at convergent and divergent boundaries- What is a subduction zone?
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An area where one tectonic plate sinks beneath another into the mantle- What type of plate boundary is a subduction zone?
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A convergent boundary- What are mid-ocean ridges?
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Underwater mountain ranges where new oceanic crust forms at divergent boundaries- What is a rift valley?
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A valley formed where the crust is being pulled apart at a divergent boundary
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