Plate Tectonics

Tectonic plates can interact in one of three ways. They can move toward one another, or converge; move away from one another, or diverge; or slide past one another, a movement known as transform motion. All plate margins along which plate movement is occurring have one thing in common—earthquakes. In fact, most earthquakes happen along plate margins. The other types of activity that occur when two plates interact are dependent on the nature of the plate interaction and of the margins. Plate margins (or boundaries) come in three varieties: oceanic-oceanic, continental-continental, and continental-oceanic.