Labs / Geography
Plate Boundary Explorer
Two plates of the Earth's crust are drifting on the mantle. Drag each plate's arrow to aim its motion, and the boundary between them responds — crashing into mountains and trenches, tearing open to make new sea floor, or grinding sideways until it snaps. Flip a plate between continental and oceanic crust to change what happens when they meet.
Boundary Convergentvrel 8.0 cm/yrFeature —Quakes 0
What to try
- Point both arrows at each other. Does it matter whether the crust is oceanic or continental — which plate dives beneath the other?
- Make two continental plates collide. Why do you get a tall mountain belt but no ocean trench or volcanoes?
- Pull the plates apart with the Spreading preset. What are those symmetric stripes recording as new crust is born at the ridge?
- Set the arrows to slide past each other. Why does the fault bend and store strain for a while before it suddenly slips and shakes?
- Which boundary type racks up earthquakes fastest, and how does the relative velocity change how often the ground shakes?