The Earth Contents

2. Plate Tectonics

There are three different types of plate motion, and they often coincide with regions of volcanic activity

Volcanoes tend to lie close to the boundaries between the great plates that make up the Earth's crust. The observation of volcanism or lack of volcanism is consistent with different types of plate margin. More generally, the different types arise because the plates move differentially with respect to each other. Three different types of relative motion are recognised: constructive; destructive; and conservative.

The distribution of active volcanoes (in red)

What are the three different types of plate motion?