Tectonic plates shape the topography of the land by their shifting. When plates slide over top of one another the pressure is forced upward and this creates mountains. Divergent are where new rock is created and the plates move away from each other; such as the East African Rift Valley.
Convergent are where one plate subducts (slides) under another. This is where you will get earthquakes and volcanoes.
Transform are where plates slide against each other in opposite directions. This can cause earthquakes. Such as the San Andreas fault line.
Earthquakes are caused by the plates grating against each other. An earthquake is the plate jerking around as it interacts with another.
Volcanoes are where magma plumes melt through the crust and this magma forms the volcanoes.
