Final answer:
Volcanoes are commonly found at plate boundaries such as divergent, convergent, and transform plate boundaries. Hotspots like Hawaii and Yellowstone National Park are exceptions where volcanic activity occurs away from plate boundaries.
Step-by-step explanation:
Volcanoes are commonly found along plate boundaries. The three main types of plate boundaries where volcanoes occur are:
- Divergent plate boundaries: These are boundaries where tectonic plates move apart. As the plates separate, magma rises to the surface, creating fissures and volcanoes. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is an example of a divergent plate boundary with numerous volcanoes.
- Convergent plate boundaries: These are boundaries where tectonic plates collide. When an oceanic plate collides with a continental plate or another oceanic plate, the denser oceanic plate is subducted beneath the other plate. This subduction zone can lead to the formation of volcanic arcs such as the Andes or the Cascade Range.
- Transform plate boundaries: These are boundaries where two plates slide past each other horizontally. While volcanoes are not commonly found directly along transform boundaries, they can occur near them. For example, the San Andreas Fault in California has numerous volcanic fields associated with it.
While volcanoes are most commonly found at plate boundaries, there are exceptions. For instance, hotspots like Hawaii and Yellowstone National Park are areas where plumes of hot mantle rise to the surface, creating volcanic activity away from plate boundaries.
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