Social Sciences and History / Unit 10 SSH 0921 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Active and Passive Margins
Captions available
The idea
Where oceanic and continental plates meet and move relative to each other is an active margin, the Americas' western coasts. Where continental lithosphere passes into oceanic lithosphere without movement is a passive margin, their eastern coasts. A plate may hold both kinds.
In practice
Earthquakes on one coast, quiet on the other.
Where people slip
Margin describes a coast; boundary describes plates.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
Something wrong in this lesson? Flag it