Plate Tectonics Theories

<-Helps to understand further about how waves help with the study of what the inside of the earth looks like.

<-Picture includes a few things discussed in class.

Converging boundaries are when the boundaries run into one another. Subduction in when one plate goes under the other. When the one plates goes under, It causes pressure which eventually builds up and causes a volcano to erupt. A diverging boundary is when two plates move apart from one another. A transform boundary is when the two boundaries rub up against eachother and causes earthquakes. Alot of these earthquakes occur in California. Scientists study what the inside of the earth looks like using seismic waves. There are two types of seismic waves: P-waves and S-waves.

Another part of plate-tectonics is the layers of the earth. The outermost layer is the crust. The crust is made up of plates which are made of rocks. It is the thinnest layer. The second outermost layer is the mantle. The mantle is the thickest layer and is made up of magma. In the mantle convection currents occur. The third outermost layer is the outer core. The outer core is made up of liquid metal. It causes the magnetic field. The innermost layer is the inner core. The inner core is a solid metal. It is solid because of pressure.

http://geology.com/nsta/transform-plate-boundaries.shtml

That website expained plate-techonics further, and might be a good source to look at if you have any questions.