Question

At divergent boundaries, rock layers pull apart, producing tensional stress. At convergent boundaries, rock pushes together, creating compressional stress. Finally, at transform boundaries, where rock plates push and pull in opposite parallel directions, shear stress occurs.

Answer 1

Compressional stress at convergent boundaries forms mountains and can cause deep earthquakes and volcanism. Tensional stress at divergent boundaries can lead to shallow earthquakes and the creation of new crust through magma upwelling. Shear stress at transform boundaries results in shallow earthquakes without volcanism.

Step-by-step explanation:

When the Earth's lithospheric plates move and interact at their boundaries, they produce different types of stresses: compressional, tensional, and shear stress. Compressional stress occurs at convergent boundaries, where plates are moving toward each other, potentially causing one plate to subduct beneath another. This can result in deep earthquakes and the formation of mountain belts and volcanism due to the subduction of oceanic crust. Tensional stress is found at divergent boundaries, which are locations where plates are moving apart, leading to shallow earthquakes and potentially causing magma to rise and create new crust as the space is filled. Shear stress is associated with transform boundaries, where plates slide past each other horizontally, leading to shallow earthquakes but generally no volcanic activity.