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What forms when tectonic plates move apart?
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 makes tectonic plates separate?
Plates grinding past each other in opposite directions create faults called transform faults. Powerful earthquakes often strike along these boundaries. Plates Separate The Mid-Ocean Ridge and rift valleys, such as the one that runs through eastern Africa, occur along boundaries where plates are spreading apart.
What are the tectonic plates in the world?
There are seven major plates: African, Antarctic, Eurasian, Indo-Australian, North American, Pacific and South American. The Hawaiian Islands were created by the Pacific Plate, which is the world’s largest plate at 39,768,522 square miles.
What causes plates to move apart?
Divergent boundaries
Divergent boundaries. Divergent boundaries occur along spreading centers where plates are moving apart and new crust is created by magma pushing up from the mantle.
What is formed from the plate movements?
Thus, at divergent boundaries, oceanic crust is created. At convergent boundaries, continental crust is created and oceanic crust is destroyed as it subducts, melts, and becomes magma. Convergent plate movement also creates earthquakes and often forms chains of volcanoes.
Which statement explains why tectonic plates move?
The plate tectonics theory explains that the plates are moving slowly along the Earth’s surface due to the convection currents in the mantle. Over time, the movement of plates results in the changes in the distribution of organisms, and the formation of volcanoes and mountain ranges, as well as earthquakes.
What are the 3 ways tectonic plates move?
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. They move at a rate of one to two inches (three to five centimeters) per year.
What happens when tectonic plates move toward each other?
At convergent boundaries, plates move toward each other. They can push together and cause mountain rangesto form. At other times, one plate gets pushed down beneath the other plate. This can cause volcanoes. At divergent boundaries, plates move apart from each other. When this happens, new plate material forms.
What are the different types of plate boundaries?
There are three major types of plate boundaries. If two tectonic plates collide, they form a convergent plate boundary. Usually, one of the converging plates will move beneath the other, which is known as subduction. Deep trenches are often formed where tectonic plates are being subducted and earthquakes are common.
How are deep trenches formed in a tectonic plate?
Deep trenches are often formed where tectonic plates are being subducted and earthquakes are common. As the sinking plate moves deeper into the mantle, fluids are released from the rock causing the overlying mantle to partially melt. The new magma (molten rock) rises and may erupt violently to form volcanoes,…
How are volcanoes related to convergent plate boundaries?
A chain of volcanoes often forms parallel to convergent plate boundaries and powerful earthquakes are common along these boundaries. At convergent plate boundaries, oceanic crust is often forced down into the mantle where it begins to melt.