Plate tectonics

The Earth's surface is made up of large plates that float around on the mantle.These plates support the continents. They may collide, move apart or slide past each other. Mountains, volcanos and earthquakes are some of the features that these plates can create. They can also subduct under each other. The plate movements created the continents we have now.

Ring of fire

The Ring of fire is a ring of volcanos around the Pacific Ocean. It contains volcanos like Mt.St Helens and Mt.Shasta. It also contains major earthquake activity. The ring contains 452 volcanos and 75% of the world's active and dormant volcanos. it is a result of the action of plates colliding and moving apart.

Pangea

Pangea was a super continent that broke apart at the time of the dinosaurs. Pangea was named by Alfred Wegener, a geologist. The theory of Pangea was supported by fossils found on different continents. The continents then drifted apart and came to their current positions.

Convergent and Divergent boundaries

Convergent boundaries are plate boundaries where one plates crash into another. These collisions often form mountains. Plates move slower than a snail, so the collisions also are very slow. Divergent boundaries are boundaries where plates move apart. These boundaries occur on the Mid-ocean ridge. When plates move apart, they allow magma to come up to the ocean floor to create new ocean floor.