At a divergent plate boundary lithospheric plates move away from each other. As the two sides move away from each other, magma wells up from the Earth's interior. It then solidifies into rock as it is cooled by the sea, creating new ocean floor. The mid-Atlantic Ridge, a topographically high area near the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, is an example of a divergent plate boundary.
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The Earth is surrounded by a thin envelope of gases called the atmosphere. More than 500 active volcanoes erupt around the world affecting the Earth's atmosphere and global climate.
