Plate Boundaries: Divergent vs. Transform

1) What is a divergent plate boundary?

a) A boundary where two plates move away from each other

2) What is a transform fault boundary?

b) A boundary where two plates slide past each other horizontally

1) Answer:

Divergent plate boundaries are where two tectonic plates move away from each other.

2) Answer:

Transform fault boundaries are where two tectonic plates slide past each other horizontally.

Plate boundaries are where the Earth's tectonic plates meet. Divergent plate boundaries occur when two plates move away from each other. This movement creates a gap, allowing magma from the mantle to rise up and solidify, forming new oceanic crust. Transform fault boundaries, on the other hand, are where two plates slide past each other horizontally. This sliding motion can cause earthquakes.

Divergent Plate Boundaries

At divergent boundaries, the crust is under tensional stress as the plates move apart. The most famous example of a divergent boundary is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the Eurasian Plate and North American Plate are moving away from each other, creating new crust in the process.

Transform Fault Boundaries

Transform boundaries are characterized by strike-slip faulting, where the plates grind past each other horizontally. One of the most well-known transform boundaries is the San Andreas Fault in California, where the Pacific Plate and North American Plate are moving horizontally.