How do the lithospheric plates move at a divergent margin? Give an example of a

Question

How do the lithospheric plates move at a divergent margin? Give an example of a present day oceanic divergent margin. What features would you expect to find at an ocean-ocean divergent plate boundary? Give an example of a present day continental divergent margin. How do the lithospheric plates move at a convergent margin? Give an example of a present day convergent margin. What features would you expect to find at an ocean-continent convergent plate boundary? How do the lithospheric plates move at a transform margin? Give an example of a present day transform margin.

Explanation / Answer

At a divergent margin, the lithospheric plates are pulled apart. Such movements occur along spreading centers where the lithospheric plates are moving apart and new crust is created by molten mantle material or magma pushing up from the mantle. The motion is similar to two giant conveyor belts, facing each other but slowly moving in opposite directions . The lithosphere thins and tears as the plates move away from each other to create gaps in the Earth's crust where molten lava rises to fill. Complex convection currents within the Earth's mantle material allows material to rise to the base of the lithosphere beneath each divergent boundary. The best known example of a present day ocean divergent margin is the Mid Atlantic Ridge (MAR). Divergent zones or ocean ocean divergent boundariesform submarine mountain ranges called oceanic spreading ridges or they result in a geological feature called a ridge, which is forced upward by the pressure of the rising magma. An example of a present day continental divergent margin is ICELAND. At a convergent plate boundary, the lithospheric plates collide or they move into one another and one of the two plates is subducted into the mantle underneath. In this case, the two plates move towards each other and converge. An example of a present day convergent margin is: Along the Peru-Chile trench, off the coast of South America, the oceanic Nazca Plate is pushing into and being subducted under the continental South American Plate. In turn, the overriding South American Plate is being lifted up, creating the giant Andes mountains. At an ocean continent convergent margin we find features like : Deep oceanic trences Accretionary prism volcanoes Earthquakes Island arcs At a transform margin, the lithospheric plates slide or move horizontally past one another without any collision or extension. An example of a present day transform margin is the San Andreas Fault in California.

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse H
• Subjects

---

---

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.