What happens when two plates diverge?

What happens when two 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 happens when an oceanic and continental plate diverge?

When two oceanic plates diverge, underwater ridges and mountain ranges form, such as the mid-Atlantic Ridge. Eventually these mountain ranges can rise above the water to form islands. When two continental plates diverge, great rift valleys can form.

What occurs where the oceanic crust bends down toward the mantle at a deep ocean trench?

Subduction zones are where the cold oceanic lithosphere sinks back into the mantle and is recycled. They are found at convergent plate boundaries, where the oceanic lithosphere of one plate converges with the less dense lithosphere of another plate.

When plates pull apart in the ocean we call them?

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.

Why do divergent plates move apart?

Divergent plate boundaries are locations where plates are moving away from one another. This occurs above rising convection currents. This lateral flow causes the plate material above to be dragged along in the direction of flow. At the crest of the uplift, the overlying plate is stretched thin, breaks and pulls apart.

When continental plates pull apart at a divergent?

When two continental plates diverge, a valleylike rift develops. This rift is a dropped zone where the plates are pulling apart. As the crust widens and thins, valleys form in and around the area, as do volcanoes, which may become increasingly active.

What landforms are formed at divergent plate boundaries?

Rising magma can also create shield volcanoes. Landforms at a divergent plate boundary include ocean ridges, eg the Mid-Atlantic ridge (where the Eurasian plate and the North Atlantic plate are moving apart from each other under the Atlantic Ocean), rift valleys eg the East African Rift Valley and shield volcanoes.

Which feature forms at a divergent boundary?

When divergent boundaries occur in continental plates, a different geological feature, called a rift valley, is formed. These depressions slowly fill with water, forming lakes, as their level drops. Ultimately, they will form the floor of a new ocean.

What is a real life example of a convergent boundary?

The Andes Mountain Range of western South America is another example of a convergent boundary between an oceanic and continental plate. Here the Nazca Plate is subducting beneath the South American plate .

Which features are associated with divergent boundaries?

Features found at divergent boundaries include ocean ridges. Where it is found in Mid-Atlantic Ridges, Mid-Ocean Ridges ant etc.