Considering the combined forces of all of these plate boundaries, the plate is overall moving to the northeast. A well-known transform plate boundary is the San Andreas Fault, which is responsible for many of California’s earthquakes. Question options: A) Convergent B) Transform C) Subduction D) Divergent 0 / 2.8 points Alvarez and his team hypothesized, and found evidence for, an asteroid impact that triggered a global extinction. The west side of the African major plate diverges from the North American plate. You'd have to break the plate into multiple pieces in order to get the plate to cover the ball. If you were alive in the Permian Period, it would just be a stone’s throw away from New York to Africa. This plate is sandwiched between the North American and African Plate on the north and west sides. Where is the boundary between the North American plate and the African plate? There are three types of tectonic plate boundaries: Plates rip apart at a divergent plate boundary , causing volcanic activity and shallow earthquakes; At a convergent plate boundary , one plate dives (“subducts”) beneath the other, resulting in a variety of … I use it to help my 8th grader. From coast to coast, Pangaea was surrounded by the superocean Panthalassa. This developing rift zone is gradually separating the east part of the continent. 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What type of boundary is found between the South American plate and the African plate? Answer: West, a left lateral fault boundary with the African Plate called the Dead Sea Transform (DST), and a divergent boundary with the African Plate called the Red Sea Rift which runs the length of the Red Sea; North, complex convergent boundary with the Anatolian Plate and Eurasian Plate. © copyright 2003-2021 Study.com. Your email address will not be published. Plate tectonics is the theory explaining the structure of the Earth's crust (and many associated phenomena) that result from the interaction of rigid lithospheric plates that move slowly over the underlying mantle.. Lithosphere: composed of the crust and uppermost solid portion of the mantle. Create your account, {{courseNav.course.topics.length}} chapters | An example of a place on Earth where this has happened is the South Atlantic ocean, which resulted from the break … The African plate has two of these types of plate boundaries around its border. When the lithosphere is subject to a horizontal extensional force it will stretch, becoming thinner. As you can imagine, this means it's broken into pieces. According to Wortel, the opposite situation existed about 30 million years ago, when the African plate was diving under the Eurasian plate along a … Introduction The Cocos Plate is a relatively small sized, triangular-shaped oceanic plate located just west of Mexico and the Caribbean. The African plate is a large tectonic plate, one of the many that cover the surface of the Earth. flashcard set{{course.flashcardSetCoun > 1 ? - Definition and Components, Identifying and Understanding Earthquakes Using Seismic Activity, Aftershocks & Foreshocks of an Earthquake, Using the Richter Scale to Measure Earthquakes, San Andreas Fault: Location, Facts & Earthquakes, Seismic Shadow Zone: Definition & Overview, What is a Seismograph? This makes it the 4th largest tectonic plate on Earth. In terms of size, the African Plate is about 61,300,000 km 2. Required fields are marked *, About Contact Privacy Policy Terms of Service, African Plate and the East African Rift Zone. all of For example, the African major plate contains the whole continent of Africa as well as the surrounding oceanic crust of the Atlantic Ocean. The rift, a narrow zone, is a developing divergent tectonic plate boundary where the African Plate is in the process of splitting into two tectonic plates, called the Somali Plate and the Nubian Plate, at a rate of … Boundaries between the plates are of three types: divergent (i.e., moving apart), convergent (i.e., moving together), and transform (moving side by side). Geologists think rifts like these mark the beginning of the processes that eventually result in new ocean basins. Once a semester I use Study.com to prepare for all my finals. Then, the rift system widens enough that seafloor begins to be formed. The movement in the western portion of the plate is more difficult to discern with the formation of the new plate occurring. The Arabian Peninsula constitute as the largest part of this plate, hence, its name. What type of geological event will happen? The convergent boundary along the northern edge is a subduction zone (convergent boundaries and where they collide, one plate dives below the other) where the African plate is diving below the Eurasian plate. Love it! Working Scholars® Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community. Boundaries. Observe the continents of the Earth. If you could rewind time 250 million years ago, this would put you in the Permian Period. It is bordered by three types of tectonic boundaries: divergent, convergent, and transform fault boundaries. This rift zone starts near the Red Sea in Ethiopia and extends into Kenya. A transform plate boundary occurs when two plates slide past each other, horizontally. The African plate has two of these types of plate boundaries around its border. The northern part of the plate is a convergent boundary where the African plate is subducting below the Eurasian plate. This plate is bound by the North-American and Caribbean Plates to the north-east, the small Rivera Plate to the north-west, the Pacific Plate to the west, and the Nazca Plate to the south (Fig 1). This microplate is bordered by an orogenic belt, the peri-Adriatic mountain chain that runs through Italy and Greece, in the region surrounding the Adriatic Sea (Channell and Horváth, 1976). The west side shares a divergent plate boundary with the North American plate. This diverging plate boundary creates some of the youngest oceanic crust on the planet. Sociology 110: Cultural Studies & Diversity in the U.S. Library Organization, Search Engines & Research Strategies, How to Promote Online Safety for Students in Online Learning, 2021 Study.com Scholarship for Homeschool Students, How Teachers Can Improve a Student's Hybrid Learning Experience. The Red Sea shows the next step in this process because it only contains a small amount of seafloor. Where is the boundary between the North American plate and the Pacific plate, in the vicinity of the northern Pacific Ocean, near Alaska? Finally, the Tethys Sea separated Gondwanaland and Laurasia in the Triassic Period. Geologists are still debating exactly how rifting comes about, but the process is so well displayed in East Africa (Ethiopia-Kenya-Uganda-Tanzania) that geologists have attached a name to the new plate-to-be; the All rights reserved. This makes it the 4th largest tectonic plate on Earth. All the other sides of the African plate are divergent boundaries. {{courseNav.course.mDynamicIntFields.lessonCount}}, What is an Earthquake? Tectonic plates are rigid pieces of crust that move on top of the semi-molten mantle. Rifts are the initial stage of a continental break-up and, if successful, can lead to the formation of a new ocean basin. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. The African tectonic plate (which is a rigid piece of the earth's crust and are bounded by major fault lines on all sides) is one of the eight major tectonic plates making up the earth's crust. {{courseNav.course.mDynamicIntFields.lessonCount}} lessons North American Plate: Tectonics, Movement & Facts, Atlas Mountains Lesson for Kids: Height, Facts & Importance, Major Landforms of Africa & the Middle East, Locating Igneous Rocks: The Relationship Between Igneous Rocks & Tectonic Plates, African Rift Valley: Formation & Overview, The Continental Crust: Definition, Formation & Composition, Divergent Boundary: Definition & Examples, Major Plates of the Lithosphere: Earth's Tectonic Plates, Convergent Boundary: Definition, Facts & Examples, Subduction Zone: Definition, Location & Example, How Orbits Are Influenced by Gravity & Energy, Mid-Ocean Ridge: Definition, Facts, Formation & Example, Prentice Hall Earth Science: Online Textbook Help, Holt McDougal Earth Science: Online Textbook Help, Glencoe Chemistry - Matter And Change: Online Textbook Help, ScienceFusion Matter and Energy: Online Textbook Help, CSET Science Subtest II Life Sciences (217): Practice & Study Guide, FTCE Physics 6-12 (032): Test Practice & Study Guide, ILTS Science - Chemistry (106): Test Practice and Study Guide, Praxis Earth & Space Sciences - Content Knowledge (5571): Practice & Study Guide, SAT Subject Test Biology: Practice and Study Guide, NY Regents Exam - Living Environment: Test Prep & Practice, Create an account to start this course today. The Eurasian Plate is the third largest major plate. Eventually, it will will open to form a full ocean basin with a mid-ocean ridge in the middle like the Atlantic Ocean. In the Permian period, there was just the Pangaea supercontinent. The majority of the divergent boundaries are mid-ocean ridges, which are volcanic chains resulting from the earth's crust being ripped apart. Convergent boundaries are where two plates are colliding. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. Figure 1: Overview of the African and Arabian tectonic plate region. These volcanoes are formed from the earth's crust being pulled apart, causing magma to rise to the surface and erupt on the seafloor. Divergent boundaries are where two plates are moving apart from each other. What landforms are found on African Plate? So let's think about the forces acting along the boundaries of the African plate. Eventually, it will rupture, leading to the formation of a rift valley. , you're guaranteed to find what you need. Read this lesson to learn what makes the African plate unique and how it's moving. The African plate makes up a large part of the Earth's crust, and … In terms of size, the African Plate is about 61,300,000 km2. - Definition & Explanation, What is the Epicenter of an Earthquake? General Location and Tectonic History. The plate is bounded from the west by the Red Sea floor spreading zone and from the south by the Gulf of Aden floor spreading zone, and in both regions, these parts of the Arabian Plate are larger. The complex morphology of the Mediterranean region (Fig. The rift is a narrow zone that is a developing divergent tectonic plate boundary, in which the African Plate is in the process of splitting into two tectonic plates, called the Somali Plate and the Nubian Plate (African Plate), at a rate of 6–7 mm annually. Along the east edge of the boundary, the Somali Plate is positioned along the East African Rift zone. Mid-ocean ridges are divergent plate boundaries marked by chains of volcanoes along the seafloor. Which type of boundary exist between the two plates? They are bounded by major fault lines on all sides. What type of boundaries does the African Plate have? All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Regardless, we can identify that the overall plate motion is toward the north and east into the subduction zone. Along the eastern, southern, and most of the western sides of the plate are mid-ocean ridges. The northern part of the plate is a A single tectonic plate can have multiple types of plate boundaries with the other plates that surround it. Once a semester I use Study.com to prepare for all my finals. Mount Etna is an unusual volcano in that most of the world's volcanoes occur on constructive and destructive plate boundaries while Etna is formed on a unique boundary between two continental plates, the European and the African plates, which are pushing towards each other due to convection currents in the mantle beneath the Earth's crust, and will eventually eliminate the Mediterranean. Before we talk about processes at plate boundaries, it’s important to point out that there are never gaps between plates. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. Types of Hybrid Learning Models During Covid-19, Creating Routines & Schedules for Your Child's Pandemic Learning Experience, How to Make the Hybrid Learning Model Effective for Your Child, Medium-Range Wireless Communication: Wi-Fi & Hotspots, What Are Finished Goods? Gradually, continental drift tore the supercontinent apart into separate continents. Plate Boundaries Type of Boundary South American Plate – African Plate Divergent North American Plate – African Plate Divergent North American Plate – Eurasian Plate Divergent African Plate – Antarctic Plate Divergent African Plate – Australian Plate Divergent African Plate – Indian Plate Divergent What feature(s) develop along this type of plate boundary? With over 30,000 video lessons and study tools, you're guaranteed to find what you need What are the three types of tectonic plate movement? The African tectonic plate is one of the eight major tectonic plates on Earth. First, a continental rift system develops. Transform boundaries are where two plates are moving laterally past each other. The earth's crust is a rigid material wrapped around a sphere. The northern portion of the plate is being pulled under the Eurasian plate at the subduction boundary. The boundary of the north american plate and the. Log in or sign up to add this lesson to a Custom Course. An error occurred trying to load this video. Where does the African Plate meet the Indo-Australian Plate? 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The African plate is moving northeast and the South American plate is moving northwest. Earn Transferable Credit & Get your Degree. | {{course.flashcardSetCount}} 2.8 / 2.8 points The boundary of the North American plate and the African plate in the Atlantic Ocean is an example of which type of plate boundary? The plate is being pushed to the west by the divergent boundary in the Atlantic Ocean, while also being pushed to the north by the divergent boundary along the southern plate. In this case, the African plate is diving below the Eurasian plate. When it comes to the earth, these multiple rigid pieces are called tectonic plates. As the tectonic plates move, there are three different options for how they can interact with nearby plates: divergent, convergent, or transform boundaries. It consist of both continent and ocean crust. The African plate also contains the beginning of a new tectonic plate at the East African Rift, a section of the crust that is being stretched, resulting in a deep valley. b. The west side of the African major plate diverges from the North American plate. The Arabian plate separated from Africa approximately 25 million years ago, resulting in the closure of the subducting Tethys sea in the northeast (Johnson and Stern, 2010). 's' : ''}}. The African Plate moves at an average rate of about 2.5 centimeters per year. Just picture trying wrapping a dinner plate around a basketball. After I review Your email address will not be published. Study.com’s lessons, This process is accompanied by surface manifestations along the rift valley in the form of volcanism and seismic activity. Tectonic plates float on top of the hot liquid magma of the Earth's mantle like chunks of ice on a lake. At this mid-oceanic ridge, these two plate boundaries pull apart from each other. Subduction zones are convergent boundaries, and where they collide, one plate dives below the other. You may have heard of the East African Rift, which is a section of the crust that is being stretched, resulting in a deep valley. The African plate is bounded by divergent boundaries, where the plates are moving apart, and convergent boundaries, where the plates are colliding. What type of plate boundary is this (convergent, divergent or transform)? What type of plate boundary is the East African Rift Valley? The west side of the African Plate straddles along the South American Plate and the North American Plate. In … Modified after McClusky et al., 2003. Amy has taught university-level earth science courses and has a PhD in Geology. How Long is the School Day in Homeschool Programs? To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. a. African Plate Boundaries The African plate has two of these types of plate boundaries around its border. Following this period, a rift opened separating the continents of African and South America as Gondwanaland. I feel prepared to pass all of my classes. It’s like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. The most interesting feature of the African plate is that it's actively splitting apart to form an entirely new plate. 1), characterized by deep basins and arcuate fault-and-thrust belts (FTB), has originated from the long-lasting plate convergence between Plate-boundary zones. The rifting of Africa and Arabia opened the Red Sea as well as the Gulf of Aden, bordering the plate on the southwest and southern sides respectively (see figure 1). The modern tectonic history of Africa commences with the breakup of Gondwana ~200 Ma, at which point Nubia began to interact … Not all plate boundaries are as simple as the main types discussed above. - Definition, History & Facts, What is an Earthquake? Type of plate boundary that occurs between the african plate and the arabian plate a. divergent ... (DST), and a divergent boundary with the African Plate called the Red Sea Rift which runs the length of the Red Sea; North, complex convergent boundary with the Anatolian Plate and Eurasian Plate… These plates are moving by floating on the underlying semi-molten mantle. It consists of most of Europe, Russia, and parts of Asia. These divergent plate boundaries forms the mid-oceanic ridges or rift valley. Convergent plate boundaries are characterized by seafloor spreading. The Adriatic plate, also known as the Apulian plate, is situated in the deformation zone at the boundary between the Eurasian and the African plates. I feel like it’s a lifeline. The African-Arabian region is composed of the following tectonic plates: Arabia, Madagascar, Nubia, Seychelles, and Somali (Figure 1). These divergent plate boundaries forms the mid-oceanic ridges or rift valley. The African Plate is the 4th largest plate tectonic boundary on Earth. That’s about how fast your fingernails grow each year. They are bounded by either convergent (where two plates are colliding), divergent (where two plates are moving apart from each other), or transform boundaries (where two plates are moving laterally past each other). When did the Arabian Plate connect Africa to Eurasia? Asthenosphere: a portion of the mantle where intense pressure and heat cause the material to flow … Then, Laurasia consisted of today’s North America, Europe, Greenland, and Asia in the north. , the Somali plate is being pulled under the Eurasian plate mid-oceanic ridges or valley! Form an entirely new plate occurring are where two plates are moving past. To be formed relatively small sized, triangular-shaped oceanic plate located just of. Alive in the North and west sides that the overall plate motion is toward the North American plate the... 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The superocean Panthalassa african plate boundary type use Study.com to prepare for all my finals chunks of ice a. 30,000 video lessons and study tools, you 're guaranteed to find what need... Are as simple as the main types discussed above pulled under the Eurasian plate processes at plate boundaries, would! Things very clearly, and Asia in the form of volcanism and seismic activity and transform boundaries... Were alive in the Permian Period break the plate is moving northeast the! You could rewind time 250 million years ago, this means it 's broken pieces. Supercontinent apart into separate continents 61,300,000 km 2 only contains a small amount of seafloor that... Northern part of the divergent boundaries are where two plates are moving floating. Explanation, what is the 4th largest plate tectonic boundary on Earth the mid-oceanic or! The Earth 's crust is a relatively small sized, triangular-shaped oceanic plate located just west of Mexico the. 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