Question

Iceland sits on top of a mid-ocean ridge that separates the North American plate from the Eurasian plate. Which statement best describes the relative motions of the North American and Eurasian plates?

Answer 1

The North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are diverging due to mantle convection, which fills the gap with new basaltic oceanic crust, as exemplified by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

Step-by-step explanation:

The North American and Eurasian plates are moving apart from each other due to the activity at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

This separation is driven by upwelling currents in the mantle, forming new ocean floor as molten basaltic lava rises to fill the gap between the diverging plates. This process is part of the larger tectonic cycle, where the Earth's lithosphere is divided into tectonic plates that move due to the convection currents in the asthenosphere. As a direct result, regions like Iceland, which sits astride the ridge, are expanding as the plates diverge.

The relative motions of the North American and Eurasian plates can be described as pulling apart or divergent. Iceland sits on top of a mid-ocean ridge where these two plates are moving away from each other. This movement is driven by upwelling currents in the mantle, causing the plates to separate and create a gap filled with molten rock. As a result, new ocean floor is formed along the mid-ocean ridge.