What Forms When Two Oceanic Plates Move Apart?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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When two plates are moving away from each other, we call this a

divergent plate boundary

. Along these boundaries, magma rises from deep within the Earth and erupts to form new crust on the lithosphere. Most divergent plate boundaries are underwater and form submarine mountain ranges called oceanic spreading ridges.

What happens when 2 oceanic plates diverge?

The plates diverge and this causes the construction of new rock. It happens when two tectonic

plates pull apart and rock from the mantle rises up through the opening to form new surface rock when it cools

. It happens at the start of a new ocean and continues at the mid-ocean ridge while the ocean is opening.

What forms when two oceanic plates pull apart?

Divergent boundaries in the middle of the ocean contribute to

seafloor spreading

. As plates made of oceanic crust pull apart, a crack in the ocean floor appears. Magma then oozes up from the mantle to fill in the space between the plates, forming a raised ridge called a mid-ocean ridge.

What is it called when two plates are moving apart?

The movement of the plates creates three types of tectonic boundaries: convergent, where plates move into one another;

divergent

, where plates move apart; and transform, where plates move sideways in relation to each other.

Which of the following is an example of an oceanic oceanic divergent plate boundary?

One example of a mid-oceanic ridge is

the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge was formed as the North American Plate and Eurasian Plate diverged, creating a fault. This creates a breach which the magma can escape and cool and solidify in the ocean.

What happens when two crusts collide?

At convergent boundaries, where plates push together, crust is either folded or destroyed. When two plates with continental crust collide,

they will crumple and fold the rock between them

. A plate with older, denser oceanic crust will sink beneath another plate. The crust melts in the asthenosphere and is destroyed.

Which of the following is the result of collision of two oceanic plates?


A subduction zone

is also generated when two oceanic plates collide — the older plate is forced under the younger one — and it leads to the formation of chains of volcanic islands known as island arcs.

What happens when two plates diverge from each other?

A divergent boundary occurs when two tectonic plates move away from each other. Along these boundaries,

earthquakes are common and magma

(molten rock) rises from the Earth’s mantle to the surface, solidifying to create new oceanic crust. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is an example of divergent plate boundaries.

Is formed by divergence of two oceanic plates?

On the other hand, if two oceanic plates diverged,

a mid ocean ridge

would form, which is also known as a spreading center. Divergent plate boundaries are commonly associated with shallow earthquakes. When two plates move towards each other, the boundary is known as a convergent boundary.

What are the 4 ways plates move?

  • Divergent: extensional; the plates move apart. Spreading ridges, basin-range.
  • Convergent: compressional; plates move toward each other. Includes: Subduction zones and mountain building.
  • Transform: shearing; plates slide past each other. Strike-slip motion.

What happens when two plates rub against each other as they move in opposite directions?

Plates grinding past each other in opposite directions create

faults called transform faults

. Powerful earthquakes often strike along these boundaries. … The earthquakes and the volcanic eruptions along the Mid-Ocean Ridges are a direct result of this process.

What will happen if the plates continue to move?

Plate tectonics

moves the continents around on a scale of 100s of millions of year

. … Plate tectonics also has an impact on longer-term climate patterns and these will change over time. It also changes ocean current patterns, heat distribution over the planet, and the evolution and speciation of animals.

Where is a divergent oceanic oceanic boundary?

Divergent boundaries are spreading boundaries, where new oceanic crust is created to fill in the space as the plates move apart. Most divergent boundaries are located

along mid-ocean oceanic ridges

(although some are on land).

What geological features are associated with divergent boundaries?

Effects that are found at a divergent boundary between oceanic plates include: a

submarine mountain range such

as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge; volcanic activity in the form of fissure eruptions; shallow earthquake activity; creation of new seafloor and a widening ocean basin.

What is the difference between oceanic plate and continental plate?


Oceanic plates are much thinner than the continental plates

. … At the convergent boundaries the continental plates are pushed upward and gain thickness. The rocks and geological layers are much older on continental plates than in the oceanic plates. The Continental plates are much less dense than the Oceanic plates.

What will happen when oceanic crust converged with each other?

If the two plates that meet at a convergent plate boundary both are of oceanic crust, the older,

denser plate will subduct beneath the less dense plate

. … The older plate subducts into a trench, resulting in earthquakes. Melting of mantle material creates volcanoes at the subduction zone.

Emily Lee
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Emily Lee
Emily Lee is a freelance writer and artist based in New York City. She’s an accomplished writer with a deep passion for the arts, and brings a unique perspective to the world of entertainment. Emily has written about art, entertainment, and pop culture.