Final answer:
Divergent plate boundaries are locations where tectonic plates move apart, driven by mantle upwelling, leading to the creation of new oceanic crust typically made of basaltic lava, like at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Convergent boundaries, featuring subduction, are where plates collide and crust is destroyed, while transform faults involve plates sliding past each other.
Step-by-step explanation:
Plate tectonics is a fundamental concept in earth science, involving the movement of large plates that compose Earth's lithosphere. One key type of boundary between these tectonic plates is known as a divergent boundary. At divergent boundaries, plates move apart from each other, which can occur on land or predominantly beneath oceans. A well-known example on land is the East African Rift, whereas in the oceans, one can refer to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. These zones are sites of upwelling mantle currents that create new crust as molten rock rises and solidifies into basaltic lava, contributing to the formation of the ocean floors. This process contrasts with convergent boundaries, where tectonic plates collide, and one plate may be forced under another in a process known as subduction, which is responsible for destroying crust. Finally, transform faults are locations where plates slide past one another, often at right angles to divergent boundaries, causing the characteristic offset of mid-ocean ridges.