What is formed at a divergent plate boundary?
A. oceanic crust
B. mountains
C. metamorphic rock
D. sedimentary rock
A. oceanic crust
At a divergent plate boundary, option A â oceanic crust is formed.
At a divergent plate boundary, two tectonic plates move away from each other. This movement creates a gap in the Earth's crust, which leads to the formation of new crust. The answer to the question is A. oceanic crust.
To understand why oceanic crust is formed at a divergent plate boundary, we need to know a little bit about plate tectonics. The Earth's lithosphere, which is composed of several large plates, floats on the semi-fluid asthenosphere beneath it. These plates interact with each other along their boundaries.
When plates move apart at a divergent boundary, magma from the Earth's mantle rises to fill the gap between the separating plates. This molten rock cools and solidifies, forming new oceanic crust. As the process continues, more and more layers of oceanic crust are added, creating a feature known as a mid-ocean ridge. This ridge can be seen in certain places, such as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
So, in summary, at a divergent plate boundary, the formation of new oceanic crust occurs as the plates separate from each other.