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In plate tectonics, a divergent boundary or divergent plate boundary (also known as a constructive boundary or an extensional boundary) is a linear feature that exists between two tectonic plates that are moving away from each other.
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Visit the Interactive Plate Boundary Map to explore satellite images of divergent boundaries between oceanic plates. Two locations are marked: 1) the Mid-Atlantic Ridge exposed above sea level on the island of Iceland, and 2) the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Africa.
Mar 7, 2024 · There are many different types of plate boundaries. For example, sections of Earth’s crust can come together and collide (a “convergent” plate boundary), spread apart (a “divergent” plate boundary), or slide past one another (a “transform” plate 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).
Divergent plate boundaries are locations where tensional forces are pulling things apart. In locations where lithospheric plates are diverging, the rates of divergent motion range from 2 to 17 cm/year.
Divergent Plate Boundaries. A divergent plate boundary is when two plates move away from each other under tensional stress. The oceanic crust becomes thin, and cracks open up fissures. Magma moves up to the surface through these fissures and solidifies, creating new oceanic crust.
Divergent plate boundaries, where Earth's plates move apart, create unique geological features. These boundaries result in seafloor spreading, rift valleys, volcanoes, and earthquakes. The process begins with hot magma rising, causing the lithosphere to crack and form rift valleys.
Divergent Plate Boundaries. At divergent plate margins, plates are moving apart and new lithosphere is being created. In the oceans, this has produced the mid ocean ridge system, which can also be described as a global range of underwater mountains.
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.
Jan 17, 2020 · Divergent boundaries exist where tectonic plates move apart from each other. Unlike convergent boundaries, divergence occurs between only oceanic or only continental plates, not one of each. The vast majority of divergent boundaries are found in the ocean, where they were not mapped or understood until the mid-to-late 20th century.
