tectonic boundary

tec·ton·ic boundary

(tĕk-tŏn′ĭk)

In the theory of plate tectonics, a boundary between two or more plates. The plates can be moving toward each other (at convergent plate boundaries), away from each other (at divergent plate boundaries), or past each other (at transform faults). Maps of seismic and volcanic activity across the Earth indicate that most earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur along or near tectonic boundaries. Scientists believe this is due to the scraping, pushing, pulling, and melting of the Earth's outer layer (the lithosphere) along these boundaries.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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References in periodicals archive ?

This data can be derived from the USGS tectonic boundary data and the distance measuring tool on Google Earth, as well as from the average velocity of a number of GPS ground stations from the NASA JPL GPS Time Series.

An evidence-based approach to teaching plate tectonics in high school

Nepal sits over a tectonic boundary where the Indian Plate slips under the Eurasian Plate.

Nepal quake unleashed long shakes: low-frequency vibrations to blame for damage in April event

The San Andreas Fault is the tectonic boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate, and seismologists have often predicted a 'Big One' could happen in the area in the future.

QUAKE CIRCUS

The southernmost tectonic boundary of the range is the Surghar Fault that is moderately south dipping and emplaces Jurassic rocks over the shallowly folded Siwalik Group rocks of the Punjab Foreland.

Range front structural style: An example from Surghar Range North Pakistan

At the same time he cautioned that the northern parts of country had a proximity to the active tectonic boundary of the Arabian and Eurasian plates that elevated the probability of greater seismicity in that region when compared to the central and southern parts.

Call to review seismic safety standards in Gulf

However, the northern parts of the country have a proximity to the active tectonic boundary of the Arabian and Eurasian plates that increases the probability of greater seismicity in this area when compared with the central and southern parts.

Oman not prone to big quakes

(2003): Changes in strain trajectories in three different types of plate tectonic boundary deduced from earthquake focal mechanisms.

Recent tectonic model for the upper Tagus Basin (central Spain)/Modelo tectonico reciente de la Cuenca Alta del Tajo (parte central Espanola)

The Mid-Cayman Rise is an undersea ridge at the tectonic boundary where the North American Plate and the Caribbean Plate are spreading apart, and magma from Earth's interior wells up to form new crust at the seafloor.