What type of boundaries are typically associated with the creation of new oceanic crust?

What type of boundaries are typically associated with the creation of new oceanic crust?

• A. Transform Boundaries
• B. Convergent Boundaries
• C. Divergent Boundaries
• D. Fault Boundaries

Answer: (C)

Divergent boundaries are where tectonic plates move apart from each other, and this movement is crucial in the formation of new oceanic crust. At these boundaries, magma from the mantle rises to fill the gap left by the separating plates. As it reaches the ocean floor, the magma cools and solidifies, forming new oceanic crust. This process is prominently observed at mid-ocean ridges, which are undersea mountain ranges where this creation of crust is continuously occurring. In contrast, transform boundaries do not involve crust creation; rather, they involve plates sliding past one another, leading to earthquakes without the formation of new material. Convergent boundaries, where plates collide, typically result in the destruction of crust rather than its creation. Fault boundaries might imply movement along fractures in the Earth's crust but do not specifically pertain to the mechanism of crust formation.

Divergent boundaries are where tectonic plates move apart from each other, and this movement is crucial in the formation of new oceanic crust. At these boundaries, magma from the mantle rises to fill the gap left by the separating plates. As it reaches the ocean floor, the magma cools and solidifies, forming new oceanic crust. This process is prominently observed at mid-ocean ridges, which are undersea mountain ranges where this creation of crust is continuously occurring.

In contrast, transform boundaries do not involve crust creation; rather, they involve plates sliding past one another, leading to earthquakes without the formation of new material. Convergent boundaries, where plates collide, typically result in the destruction of crust rather than its creation. Fault boundaries might imply movement along fractures in the Earth's crust but do not specifically pertain to the mechanism of crust formation.