Divergent plate boundaries Flashcards
A divergent plate boundary occurs when two plates…
dividing
The mantle is under pressure from the plates above and when they move pressure is released at the plate….
boundary
The release of pressure causes magma to melt, producing…
magma
The magma is less dense than the plates above it and so rises through the gap left by the diverging plates, forming a….
volcano
______ and _______ volcanos are found at divergent plate boundaries
shield and fissure
Sometimes when the plates move at differing rates, this can cause…
pressure to build up
When the pressure becomes too much, the plates crack open making a fault line and causing an…
earthquake
The two land forms diverging plate boundaries create are
mid ocean ridges and rift valleys
A mid ocean ridge forms when plates are diverging…
underwater
The Mid Atlantic Ridge is where the ________ and _____ ________ plates are ________
Eurasian and North American plates are diverging
Underwater volcanoes erupt along mid ocean ridges and can build up to be above ___ _____. For example _______ has been formed by the build up of underwater volcanoes along the Mid Atlantic Ridge.
sea level
Iceland
Rift Valleys are formed when plates diverge beneath land, and rising magma causes continental crust to bulge and fracture forming ________ _____ _____
paralell fault lines
As the plates keep moving apart the crust between the parallel faults drops down to form a ____ ______
rift valley
The East Africian Rift System is a series of rift valleys streching from __________ to the ___ ___
Mozambique to the Red Sea
The East Africian Rift System streching ___km. It’s formed because the ______ and ________ plates are diverging.
4000 Nubian and Somalian
