What is not likely to happen at a divergent boundary?

At a divergent boundary, two tectonic plates are moving away from each other, creating new crust as magma rises to fill the gap. As a result, certain geological events are highly unlikely to happen at a divergent boundary, including:

  1. Earthquakes with highly destructive magnitudes are less likely to occur at divergent boundaries compared to other types of plate boundaries, such as subduction zones or transform boundaries. This is because the movement of the plates at divergent boundaries is typically gradual and not associated with the sudden release of built-up stress.

  2. Volcanic eruptions at divergent boundaries are generally less explosive and violent compared to those at convergent boundaries, where subduction of one plate beneath another can lead to the formation of volcanic arcs. The magma rising at divergent boundaries tends to be more fluid and less gas-rich, resulting in less explosive eruptions.

  3. Major mountain-building events, such as the formation of large mountain ranges, are unlikely to occur at divergent boundaries. These types of geological features are typically associated with convergent boundaries, where plates collide and are forced upward to form towering mountain ranges, such as the Himalayas or the Andes.

  4. Deep ocean trenches, which are long, narrow depressions in the ocean floor formed at convergent boundaries where one tectonic plate is being forced beneath another, are not characteristic of divergent boundaries. Instead, divergent boundaries are typically associated with mid-ocean ridges, which are underwater mountain ranges formed by the spreading of two plates.