What are plate boundaries?

The point where two or more plates meet is known as a plate boundary. It is at these locations where earthquakes, volcanoes and fold mountain form. There are four main types of plate boundary. These are constructive, destructive, conservative and collision margins.

Constructive / Tensional (divergent ) Plate Boundary

A constructive plate margin

A constructive plate boundary occurs when two plates move away from each other.

Landforms: Ocean ridge and volcanic islands

Find out more about constructive plate margins.

Destructive plate boundary (subduction zones)

A destructive plate margin

A destructive plate boundary occurs when an oceanic plate is forced under (or subducts) a continental plate.

Landforms: Fold Mountains and Oceanic trenches

Example: Pacific Plate and the Eurasian Plate

Find out more about destructive plate margins.

Conservative (transform faults) plate boundary

A conservative plate margin

A conservative plate boundary occurs when two plates slide past each other.

Example: North American Plate and the Pacific Plate

Find out more about conservative plate margins.

Collision plate boundaries

Collision plate boundaries occur when two continental plates move towards each other.

Landforms: Fold Mountains

Example: Australian and the Eurasian Plate

Take our plate margins or landforms at plate margins quiz to test your knowledge.