Tectonic plates – divergent, convergent and transform boundaries; earthquakes and volcanoes

GeographyEarth's Structure & LandformsAges 11–12

A cross-section of two tectonic plates drifting on a mantle with convection currents. Choose a boundary type: plates moving apart (magma rises to form a mid-ocean ridge and new oceanic crust), plates colliding (an oceanic plate subducts beneath a continental plate, producing earthquakes, volcanoes and high mountain ranges) or plates sliding past each other (a transform fault, producing earthquakes). Drag a plate by hand or press Run to move the plates at their real speed of a few centimetres per year; the number of years elapsed and the distance moved are shown. The top-right panel shows a cross-section of Earth's layers at true depth.