Divergent plate boundaries occur where tectonic plates are moving away from each other. There are two main types of tectonic plates - continental plates composed of rocks and minerals, and oceanic plates which are thinner and located under seas. As the plates separate, molten lava rises up between them to form new crust. This divergence is driven by convection currents in the Earth's mantle which push the plates apart. New crust forms underwater as seafloor spreading, and volcanoes and mountains can form on the edges of the separating plates.

1. Divergent Plate Boundaries
By: Nigina
Class: J

2. Tectonic Plate
• Tectonic Plate- when the lithosphere is broken
down into large pieces.

3. Main types of Tectonic Plates
• Two main types are: Continental and Oceanic
crusts. Continental is made up of rocks and
minerals. Oceanic is much thinner, and under
the sea. Continental is continents, and
Oceanic is under seas plants.

4. Moving of divergent plate boundaries
• Divergent plate boundaries are located where
plates are moving away from each other.
Plates move apart to produce gaps which is
molten lava. This occurs above rising
convection currents. This current pushes up
on the bottom of the lithosphere, lifting it and
flowing beneath it.

5. Continuing…
• This flow causes plate material above to be
dragged along in the direction of flow. At the
crest of the uplift, the overlying plate is
becomes thin and breaks apart.

6. Moving of Plates
• Plates at our planet move because of the
intense heat in the Earth’s core which causes
molten rock in the mantle layer to move.

7. Features created at a divergent
boundary.
• Features that are created at a divergent
boundary are: Trenches, mountain, islands,
volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis.

8. Continental-continental
• When the force of separating continent the
continental crust start to move apart slowly
and pushes magma into rift formed between
continents.
Rift Valley

9. Oceanic - Oceanic
• When oceanic plates move apart they causes
a cracks in the ocean lands. Than the magma
start to make it’s way up than, it cools down.
When the magma cools down it build up a
Mid-ocean ridge.

10. Sources
• Internet:
1. “Plate Tectonic – Continental-continental Plates”. Science Encyclopedia. Net Industries and
it’s licensors.2015.Web.January 11, 2015. <science.jrank.org>
2. “Convergent Plate Boundaries”. Geology.com.Copyscape.2005-2015.Web.January 11, 2015.
<geology.com>
3. “BRIEF PLATE TECTONICS”. Desert Ecology of Tucson, AZ. Pima Community college.
Copyright.2015.January 11, 2015.< Wc.pima.edu>
• Book:
1. Bernstein, Leonard, Martin Schechter, Alan Winker, and Stanley Wolfe. EARTH
SCIENCE. Parsippany. Globe Fearon, 2003. Print