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Provide an example of a surface feature that forms at each type of
plate boundary.

User Dominica
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Final answer:

Surface features like mid-ocean ridges form at divergent boundaries, trenches and volcanic mountain ranges at convergent boundaries, and straight valleys or offset streams and roads at transform boundaries.

Step-by-step explanation:

Surface features form in distinct ways at each type of plate boundary. At divergent boundaries, where plates are moving away from each other, features such as mid-ocean ridges are common. These are long undersea mountain ranges formed by lava rising from Earth's mantle through the gap between the diverging plates. An example is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

At convergent boundaries, where plates are moving towards each other, different scenarios can play out. If an oceanic plate collides with a continental plate, subduction often occurs, leading to the formation of trenches and volcanic mountain ranges.

The Andes mountain range in South America is an example of this feature, resulting from the subduction of the Nazca Plate beneath the South American Plate. Similarly, when two continental plates collide, it can form tall mountain belts such as the Himalayas, created by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates.

Transform boundaries are characterized by plates sliding past one another. This can result in earthquake activity along complex fracture zones, such as the San Andreas Fault in California. While not typically associated with prominent topographic features like ridges or mountain ranges, the landscape at transform boundaries can be marked by straight valleys or offset streams and roads.

User Mathi
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