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.

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.

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.

Jun 13, 2023 · Divergent boundaries (in geology) occur when tectonic plates—immense, rigid pieces of the Earth’s lithosphere—move apart, or diverge. This is one of the main types of tectonic boundaries.

Divergent boundaries Picture two giant conveyor belts, facing each other but slowly moving in opposite directions as they transport newly formed oceanic crust away from the ridge crest. Perhaps the best known of the divergent boundaries is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

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.

Aug 31, 2009 · Divergent boundaries are one of the bi-products of plate tectonics. As the name implies, divergent boundaries are formed when two adjacent tectonic plates separate, i.e., when they...

Feb 11, 2020 · In the western part of the continent, divergent plate boundary forces are beginning to rip the continent apart, forming the Basin and Range Province and its adjacent eastern arm, known as the Rio Grande Rift.

Feb 15, 2021 · 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 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.