Are people swallowed by giant holes in the earth?ĭiscuss your responses with a teacher or parent, then continue on to the Got It? section to prepare for a hands-on project.

What happens when the earth's plates separate?.

Review the questions from the beginning of the lesson.

Is there an increase in earthquakes in these locations?ĭiscuss your responses with a teacher or parent.

Where do you see examples of divergent boundaries?.

National Park Service and is, therefore, in the public domain. To learn more about divergent boundaries, read 's article, Divergent Plate Boundaries.

Can you see the rift created by the divergent boundary?ĭiscuss what you observe with a teacher or parent.

Watch Photovolcanica's video Lava Fountains from Bardarbunga Volcano Holuhraun Fissure Eruption viewed by Helicopter Flights (below): Other times, magma rises to the earth's surface, creating a volcano. If the rift occurs near a body of water, it can fill with water. Be sure to watch the video on the page to see how boundary was formed.ĭivergent boundaries that form on land create rifts, or cracks, in the earth. Visit The Geological Society's webpage, Mid-Atlantic Ridge, to learn more about this famous divergent boundary. The Mid-Atlantic ridge is one of the most well-known examples of a divergent boundary. As the magma rises to the surface, it quickly cools, forming a new layer of rock. The magma does not pour out all over the ocean floor. As the plates pull away from one another, a ridge is formed when magma from within the earth rises to the surface. Like convergent boundaries, the effects of a divergent boundary depend on where it takes place.Ī divergent boundary that occurs on the ocean floor can create a mid-ocean ridge, or mountain range, along the ocean floor.

Rather than moving toward one another, the tectonic plates move away from one another. The opposite of a convergent boundary is a divergent boundary.Īccording to Merriam-Webster, diverge means 'to split and move out in other directions.' This is exactly what occurs at a divergent boundary.

Think about the opposite of a convergent boundary.ĭiscuss your ideas with a teacher or parent. What is the opposite of two objects converging?.In this lesson, you will learn about another type of tectonic plate movement. Have a teacher or parent check your work. Then, write a few sentences explaining what a convergent boundary is and what happens when plates converge. On a separate piece of paper, draw a picture of a convergent boundary. In the previous Related Lesson, found in the right-hand sidebar, you learned what happens when tectonic plates collide.

Divergent boundary