Which boundary type is characterized by the formation of new oceanic crust?

Which boundary type is characterized by the formation of new oceanic crust?

• A. Divergent boundaries
• B. Convergent boundaries
• C. Transform boundaries
• D. Subduction zones

Answer: (A)

New oceanic crust is formed where tectonic plates pull apart, allowing mantle magma to rise and solidify at the surface. At divergent boundaries, especially along mid-ocean ridges, magma upwells into the gap between separating plates, cools, and becomes new basaltic crust. As this seafloor spreads away from the ridge, older crust moves outward and may eventually be recycled at subduction zones. This continual creation of new crust is the defining process of that boundary type. In contrast, convergent boundaries involve collision and often subduction (crust being destroyed), while transform boundaries involve sliding past one another without creating new crust. Subduction zones specifically describe where crust is consumed rather than formed.