Most divergent boundaries are located along mid-ocean oceanic ridges (although some are on land). The mid-ocean ridge system is a giant undersea mountain range, and is the largest geological feature on Earth; at 65,000 km long and about 1000 km wide, it covers 23% of Earth’s surface (Figure 4.5. 1).
Where do most divergent boundaries originate?
Most active divergent plate boundaries occur between oceanic plates and exist as mid-oceanic ridges. Divergent boundaries also form volcanic islands, which occur when the plates move apart to produce gaps that magma rises to fill.
Which two places do divergent boundaries occur?
Divergent boundaries are typified in the oceanic lithosphere by the rifts of the oceanic ridge system, including the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the East Pacific Rise , and in the continental lithosphere by rift valleys such as the famous East African Great Rift Valley.
What do divergent boundaries cause?
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.
What landforms are created by divergent boundaries?
At DIVERGENT boundaries the plates move apart allowing molten magma to rise and form new crust in the form of ridges, valleys and volcanoes. Landforms created by divergent plates include the Mid Atlantic Ridge and the Great African Rift Valley .
Do divergent boundaries cause volcanoes?
Volcanoes are most common in these geologically active boundaries. The two types of plate boundaries that are most likely to produce volcanic activity are divergent plate boundaries and convergent plate boundaries. At a divergent boundary, tectonic plates move apart from one another.
Which of the following best describes divergent boundaries?
Which of the following best describes what happens at a divergent plate boundary? The plates separate from each other creating new crust in the process . ... Neither plate is subducted; instead, both are lifted up forming a mountain range.
What are the three types of convergent boundaries?
Convergent boundaries , where two plates are moving toward each other, are of three types, depending on the type of crust present on either side of the boundary — oceanic or continental . The types are ocean-ocean, ocean-continent, and continent-continent.
Do earthquakes happen at convergent boundaries?
About 80% of earthquakes occur where plates are pushed together , called convergent boundaries. Another form of convergent boundary is a collision where two continental plates meet head-on. ... When two tectonic plates slide past each other, the place where they meet is a transform or lateral fault.
Can divergent boundaries cause earthquakes?
Divergent boundaries are associated with volcanic activity and the earthquakes in these zones tend to be frequent and small. Continental collisions result in the creation of mountains and fold belts as the rocks are forced upwards. Plates can move towards each other at a boundary.
Why do earthquakes occur on conservative plate boundaries?
A conservative plate boundary, sometimes called a transform plate margin, occurs where plates slide past each other in opposite directions, or in the same direction but at different speeds. Friction is eventually overcome and the plates slip past in a sudden movement. The shockwaves created produce an earthquake .
What happens when a divergent boundary occurs on land?
A divergent plate boundary on land rips apart continents (Figure below). When plate divergence occurs on land, the continental crust rifts, or splits . This effectively creates a new ocean basin as the pieces of the continent move apart. ... This is how continents split apart.
What is another name for Transform boundaries?
Transform boundaries are also known as conservative plate boundaries because they involve no addition or loss of lithosphere at the Earth’s surface.
What happens at divergent boundaries to cause landforms and features?
At divergent boundaries, plates move away from each other, creating a new crust as magma is pushed up from the mantle . Mid-ocean ridges result from volcanic swelling and eruptions along the divergent boundary.
What is the difference between convergent and divergent plate boundaries?
Divergent boundaries — where new crust is generated as the plates pull away from each other . Convergent boundaries — where crust is destroyed as one plate dives under another.
What happens when two oceanic plates collide?
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. ... Earthquakes generated in a subduction zone can also give rise to tsunamis.
