In the western part of the continent, divergent plate boundary forces are beginning to rip the continent apart, forming the Basin and Range Province and its adjacent eastern arm, known as the Rio Grande Rift. These outcrops allow scientists to study the structure and composition of oceanic crust, get a better idea of what the Earth’s interior is made of, and better understand the mechanics of plate tectonics. This impressive geologic feature makes its sub-aerial debut in Iceland where one c… Divergent plate boundaries are places of lithospheric stretching and thinning, forming low points on the Earth’s surface. What type of structures help accommodate differences in spreading rates along divergent plate boundaries? As magma is brought toward the surface at mid-ocean ridges, hydrothermal vents transport superheated, mineral rich water to the ocean floor. The drop in pressure on the shallow asthenosphere makes it start to melt. Similar, but much older, layers are found in NPS sites in the Keweenawan Rift of the Lake Superior region, where divergent plate boundary forces tried, unsuccessfully, to rip the North American continent apart 1.1 billion years ago. This divergent plate boundary moves apart at a rate of ~2.5 cm per year, relatively slow for a divergent plate boundary, and rises ~2-3 km above the ocean floor. Label each boundary with the terms from Question 3b. Convergent (Colliding): This occurs when plates move towards each other and collide. Earthquakes, fault-block mountains, and volcanism at Guadalupe Mountains National Park and Bandelier and White Sands national monuments are consequences of the ongoing continental rifting. The East African Rift (EAR) is a continental rift valley in Eastern Africa and is a unique type of divergent plate boundary in that it is 1) in its early stages of development and 2) primarily on land. As rifting progresses the crust thins, becomes depleted in silica, and has better-developed conduits, so that magma that originally melted from the mantle often reaches the surface. He suggested that convection in the mantle and asthenosphere brought magma toward the surface and pushed the plates apart at oceanic spreading centers. Define divergent plate boundary. This results in many of them existing underwater. This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a … The same continental rifting processes that form the high-elevation valleys and mountain ranges of the Basin and Range Province and Rio Grande Rift also result in earthquakes and volcanic activity. Continental-Continental Convergent Boundary. Snake Valley, Tucson Basin and Death Valley are the basins, while the Snake Range, Rincon Mountains, Tucson Mountains and Panamint Mountains are the adjacent ranges. Divergent Boundaries: In plate tectonics, a divergent boundary or divergent plate boundary is a linear feature that exists between two tectonic plates that are moving away from each other. The topography of the Basin and Range Province and Rio Grande Rift reveals the full range of characteristics of a continental rift zone. Under the lowered pressure it begins to melt (much like superheated water flashes to steam when the lid is suddenly removed from a pressure cooker). Sedimentary and volcanic rocks found in Isle Royale National Park and Keweenaw National Historical Park are products of this ancient continental rifting. The East Pacific Rise is located in the eastern Pacific Ocean and separates the Pacific plate from plates as far north as the North American plate all the way south to Antarctica. Plate-boundary zones. Above the peridotite, fractionation in the magma chamber creates gabbro which feeds sheeted basalt dikes above. For example, Death Valley contained Lake Manly, some 80 miles long and 600 feet (180 meters) deep. This divergent plate boundary moves apart at a rate of ~2.5 cm per year, relatively slow for a divergent plate boundary, and rises ~2-3 km above the ocean floor. Above illustrations modified from “Beauty from the Beast: Plate Tectonics and the Landscapes of the Pacific Northwest,” by Robert J. Lillie, Wells Creek Publishers, 92 pp., 2015, www.amazon.com/dp/1512211893. The mid-Atlantic ridge lies beneath the Atlantic Ocean and separates the North and South American plates from the European and African plates. The mid-Atlantic ridge lies beneath the Atlantic Ocean and separates the North and South American plates from the European and African plates. Plate boundaries.In the video, I include description of convergent boundaries, plates. The underlying asthenosphere rises and expands like a puzzle shallow earthquakes occur beneath the adjacent Atlantic and Pacific Ring Fire... 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