More Plate Movements and The Rock Cycle
At divergent boundaries between oceanic plates, something amazing happens—the seafloor literally splits open! Magma rises from below, creating new crust that pushes the plates apart and forms underwater mountain ridges. This process constantly creates new seafloor.
Transform boundaries work differently—plates slide horizontally past each other, either in opposite directions or at different speeds. When they suddenly slip, energy releases as earthquakes. Unlike other boundaries, transform boundaries neither create nor destroy Earth's crust—they're like a geological tug-of-war between equally matched forces.
The constant movement of Earth's crust drives the rock cycle, where rocks transform between metamorphic, igneous, and sedimentary types. Weathering (the breakdown of rocks by wind, water, and organisms) and erosion (the transport of these materials) are crucial processes that reshape the landscape.
🌊 Did you know? Sinkholes form when underground erosion creates empty spaces that can no longer support the surface above. The ground literally collapses into these hidden caverns!