Do continental plates diverge?
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.
Which tectonic plates are diverging?
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 is an example of two continental plates diverging?
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.
What is continental continental divergence?
Continental-continental divergence causes a continent to separate into two or more smaller continents when it is ripped apart along a series of fractures.
Can oceanic and continental plates diverge?
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.
What is a converging plate?
Convergent (Colliding): This occurs when plates move towards each other and collide. When a continental plate meets an oceanic plate, the thinner, denser, and more flexible oceanic plate sinks beneath the thicker, more rigid continental plate.
Which tectonic plates are convergent?
When two tectonic plates move toward each other and collide, they form a convergent plate boundary. There are three types of convergent plate boundaries: oceanic-oceanic boundaries, oceanic-continental boundaries, and continental-continental boundaries. Each one is unique because of the density of the plates involved.
Where is a continental continental divergent boundary?
At divergent boundaries, sometimes called constructive boundaries, lithospheric plates move away from each other. There are two types of divergent boundaries, categorized by where they occur: continental rift zones and mid-ocean ridges. Continental rift zones occur in weak spots in the continental lithospheric plate.
What place has a divergent boundary?
Perhaps the best known of the divergent boundaries is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This submerged mountain range, which extends from the Arctic Ocean to beyond the southern tip of Africa, is but one segment of the global mid-ocean ridge system that encircles the Earth.
What happens when 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.
Are convergent boundaries continental or oceanic?
Convergent boundaries occur between oceanic-oceanic lithosphere, oceanic-continental lithosphere, and continental-continental lithosphere. The geologic features related to convergent boundaries vary depending on crust types.
What is continental convergence?
A continental-continental convergent boundary describes the collision of two tectonic plates composed of continental lithosphere. Just like an oceanic-oceanic convergent boundary, this type of boundary involves the compression of the same type of lithosphere.
What do divergent boundaries make?
A divergent plate boundary often forms a mountain chain known as a ridge. This feature forms as magma escapes into the space between the spreading tectonic plates.
What is formed in continental continental convergence?
Continent-continent convergence creates some of the world’s largest mountains ranges. The Himalayas (Figure below) are the world’s tallest mountains. They are forming as two continents collide. The Appalachian Mountains are the remnants of a larger mountain range.
What is continental continental convergent boundary?
Continent-Continent Convergence Another type of convergent plate boundary is when two continental plates collide. Continental lithosphere is low in density and very thick. Continental lithosphere cannot subduct. So when two continental plates collide, they just smash together.
What happens to oceanic and continental plates when they diverge?
For example, when two continental plates diverge from each other, an ocean basin is created due to the separation of land. On the other hand, if two oceanic plates diverged, a mid ocean ridge would form, which is also known as a spreading center.
What happens at a continental divergent boundary?
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. In continental rifting, magma rises beneath the continent, causing it to become thinner, break, and ultimately split apart.
What forms divergent continental boundaries?
Continental Rift—Plate Rips Apart As the plate stretches and thins, the underlying asthenosphere flows upward and expands like a hot-air balloon, lifting the region to higher elevations. The continental crust breaks along faults, forming long mountain ranges separated by rift valleys.
Where are most divergent boundaries found?
mid-ocean oceanic ridges
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).
What happens when two plates diverge?
Where can you find a divergent continental plate boundary?
African Plate
How do plates move at divergent plate boundaries?
Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
What are some examples of divergent plate boundaries?
Ophiolites. Oceanic spreading centers or mid-ocean ridges produce oceanic crust and a unique type of rock section called ophiolites.
How are continental plates different from oceanic plates?
Pacific Plate. Pacific major plate is the largest which underlies the Pacific Ocean.…