What type of plate boundary is associated with the formation of new oceanic crust?

The creation of new oceanic crust occurs at divergent boundaries, where tectonic plates move apart from each other. At these boundaries, magma from the mantle rises to fill the gap created by the separating plates. As this magma cools and solidifies, it forms new oceanic crust at mid-ocean ridges, such as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This process is known as seafloor spreading, and it plays a crucial role in the dynamic nature of the Earth’s lithosphere.

Divergent boundaries also contribute to the expansion of ocean basins and are associated with volcanic activity. The continuous formation of new crust at these boundaries leads to a balance with the destruction of old crust that occurs at convergent boundaries, where plates collide, often resulting in subduction and the recycling of the oceanic crust back into the mantle. In contrast, transform boundaries primarily involve horizontal sliding of plates past one another, which does not lead to the creation or destruction of crust. Subduction zones also do not create new crust; rather, they are areas where old oceanic crust is consumed, melting back into the mantle.