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Fun Facts About Divergent Plate Boundaries
Global mid ocean ridge
In the upper mantle where the plates are separating molten rock forms in magma chambers. Molten lava oozes up out of the magma chambers onto the ocean floor creating pillow basalt.
New lava forms pillow basalt
Pillow basalt covers all the ocean floors. As new lava forms in the rift valley the tectonic plates continue to separate forming the mid ocean ridge that is the longest mountain range on Earth.
Iceland's divergent boundary and hot spot
Iceland sits on a divergent boundary between the North American Plate and the Eurasian Plate that has formed the Atlantic Ocean. The island also sits over a hot spot. The frequent volcanic eruptions are a result of hot spot activity and separating plates. You can visit Iceland and stand in a rift valley similar to those found in ocean basins worldwide where the two plates are pulling apart.