divergent+boundaries

and grow wider where plates diverge or pull apart. As seen below, when a diverging boundary occurs on land a 'rift', or separation will arise and over time that mass of land will break apart into distinct land masses and the surrounding water will fill the space between them. || [] divergent boundary
 * __ **Divergent Boundaries** __: At divergent boundaries new crust is created as wo or more plates pull away from each other. Oceans are born
 * Divergent Plate Boundary - Oceanic:** (see illustration above) When a divergent boundary occurs beneath oceanic lithosphere, the rising convection current below lifts the lithosphere producing a mid-ocean ridge. Extensional forces stretch the lithosphere and produce a deep fissure. When the fissure opens, pressure is reduced on the super-heated mantle material below. It responds by melting and the new magma flows into the fissure. The magma then solidifies and the process repeats itself.
 * __Sea-Floor Spreading:__** A process that creates a new oceanic lithsphere when molten rock is cooled by water and then solidifies.

[]

[]

[]