GEOG1231 EARTH ENVIRONMENTS I 4 
Describe the major topographic relief elements on the solid surface of the earth and briefly explain their deposition in relation to the plate tectonics concept.
Have you ever wondered where mountains come from, why there is a sea floor, island arcs or even volcano and what plate tectonic have to do with this? Well worry no more as all your question on the earth’s surfaced topographic relief elements and plate tectonics are about to be answered. The first question that might come to mind is what is a relief? A relief is a land form that is naturally developed or created on the earth’s surface, and the study of these land forms is called topography as such the term topographic relief is just land forms that are studied. These landforms are able to be studied through theories that were originated by pioneers such as Alfred Wegener, Harry Hess, J. Tuzo Wilson and many others, theses men all contributed to plate tectonics; which is the study of the plates that makeup the lithosphere, their movements and how these movements has influenced changes in the surface’s topography (Strahler, 2011, 389). These plates either sink in to the mantle creating subduction zones which occurs at convergent plate margins or move away from each other causing magma to rise and spread this occurs at divergent plate margins. These plate margins create various relief elements such as volcanoes, Fold Mountains, sea floors and many others. How they do this is not a mystery as at convergent plate margins it’s the rising of magma that creates volcanoes.
Convergent plate margin consist or two plates oceanic and continental. The topographic elements that are formed here are due to three occurrence, oceanic-oceanic plates colliding, continental – oceanic plates and continental-continental plates colliding (Muller, 2005, 140). When a continental and an oceanic plate meet a major topographic feature that will form is a volcano, this is an upward mountain that usually have an opening (vent)
Have you ever wondered where mountains come from, why there is a sea floor, island arcs or even volcano and what plate tectonic have to do with this? Well worry no more as all your question on the earth’s surfaced topographic relief elements and plate tectonics are about to be answered. The first question that might come to mind is what is a relief? A relief is a land form that is naturally developed or created on the earth’s surface, and the study of these land forms is called topography as such the term topographic relief is just land forms that are studied. These landforms are able to be studied through theories that were originated by pioneers such as Alfred Wegener, Harry Hess, J. Tuzo Wilson and many others, theses men all contributed to plate tectonics; which is the study of the plates that makeup the lithosphere, their movements and how these movements has influenced changes in the surface’s topography (Strahler, 2011, 389). These plates either sink in to the mantle creating subduction zones which occurs at convergent plate margins or move away from each other causing magma to rise and spread this occurs at divergent plate margins. These plate margins create various relief elements such as volcanoes, Fold Mountains, sea floors and many others. How they do this is not a mystery as at convergent plate margins it’s the rising of magma that creates volcanoes.
Convergent plate margin consist or two plates oceanic and continental. The topographic elements that are formed here are due to three occurrence, oceanic-oceanic plates colliding, continental – oceanic plates and continental-continental plates colliding (Muller, 2005, 140). When a continental and an oceanic plate meet a major topographic feature that will form is a volcano, this is an upward mountain that usually have an opening (vent)