Plate Tectonics

Tectonic plates make up the earths outer shell or its lithosphere. movement of these plates creates tectonic boundaries. the six major plates are names for the continent they are in for example, there are the North America. Africa and Antarctic plates. Their are also minor plates and these plates too help to shape the earth and create boundaries. The movement of the plates creates three types of tectonic boundaries:convergent, divergent, transform. Convergent Boundaries happen when where plates move into one another. They create landmarks like mountains like the Himalayas and Mt Everest. These convergent boundaries also occur where a plate of ocean dives which is called seduction, this creates trenches in our oceans. Divergent boundaries happens when plates move apart, creating valleys and giant troughs such as the Great Rift Valley. Transform Boundaries happens when plates move sideways in relation to each other, creating faults and rifts like San Andreas Fault in California.

http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/earth/the-dynamic-earth/plate-tectonics-article/?source=A-to-Z