Questions: 1. What do you think are the forces involved in the divergent plate? 2. What do you think will happen when the continental plates move apart? 3. Predict what happens on the divergent plates after millions of years.
Answer (1)
What are the forces involved in divergent plate boundaries?
Divergent plate boundaries are regions where two tectonic plates are moving apart. This movement is driven by forces such as:
Mantle Convection: Heat from the Earth's core causes magma in the mantle to flow in convection currents. This movement of magma is a driving force that pulls plates apart at divergent boundaries.
Ridge Push: Newly formed rocks at mid-ocean ridges are elevated compared to the surrounding ocean floor. Gravity causes these rocks to slide down the slope of the ridge, pushing the plates apart.
What will happen when continental plates move apart?
When continental plates move apart, they create large geological features and processes, such as:
Rift Valleys: As the plates separate, a depression or rift forms, which may eventually become a rift valley. An example is the East African Rift.
Volcanic Activity: The separation allows magma to rise from the mantle, leading to volcanic activity along the rift.
Formation of New Ocean Basins: Continued separation can lead to the creation of new ocean basins as water fills the space. For example, the Red Sea is a young ocean basin formed by the divergence of the Arabian and African plates.
What happens to divergent plates after millions of years?
Over millions of years, the continuous movement of divergent plates can result in:
Expansion of Ocean Basins: As plates diverge, new oceanic crust forms, expanding the size of ocean basins.
Development of Mid-Ocean Ridges: New crust formed at these boundaries creates mid-ocean ridges, which are underwater mountain ranges.
Formation of Oceanic Spreading Centers: Further divergence may lead to the development of spreading centers where new crust continuously forms and moves away from the ridge.
Overall, divergent plate activity is a crucial process in the renewal of the Earth's crust and the shaping of its surface.
