Plate divergence is a tectonic phenomenon in which lithospheric plates move apart along divergent plate boundaries, driven primarily by mantle convection, slab pull, and ridge push forces. This separation promotes decompression melting of the underlying asthenosphere, generating mafic magmas that ascend to form new oceanic crust at mid-ocean ridges or intraplate rift systems on continents. The process is characterized by extensional stress fields, normal faulting, and symmetric seafloor spreading, often accompanied by linear volcanic and seismic activity. Plate divergence plays a central role in lithosphere recycling, global heat loss, and the long-term evolution of ocean basins and continental configurations.
The end-Triassic mass extinction, 201 million years ago, is linked to volcanism that resulted from the break-up of Pangea and which pumped out vast amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere, causing extreme global warming of 5 to ...
Earth Sciences
Jul 21, 2026
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The first-known direct observations of a seafloor spreading event at a mid-ocean ridge in the Indian Ocean are presented in Nature. The observations offer insight into how new oceanic crust is created.
Earth Sciences
Jul 8, 2026
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Scientists have uncovered why Antarctica became engulfed by ice millions of years before the Arctic. The international research, published in Science, helps solve one of climate science's longest-standing puzzles: how a vast ...
Earth Sciences
Jul 2, 2026
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Nearly 660 kilometers (410 miles) beneath Earth's surface lies one of the planet's most important internal boundaries. Known as the 660-km seismic discontinuity, it separates the mantle transition zone from the lower mantle ...
Earth Sciences
Jul 2, 2026
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The Ontong Java Plateau in the western Pacific Ocean is the largest oceanic plateau on Earth, and its formation mechanism has not been well understood.
Earth Sciences
Jun 15, 2026
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Deep below the Tyrrhenian Sea offshore Italy, scientists drilled into what they thought would be dark mantle rock—and found pieces of granite that seemingly had no business being there. Those unexpected intrusions turned ...
Earth Sciences
Jun 4, 2026
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Located in the middle of the North Pacific, between Japan and Canada, lies one of the world's largest oceanic plateaus, the so-called Hess Rise. The plateau is roughly T-shaped and extends over a length of about 1,000 kilometers. ...
Earth Sciences
May 24, 2026
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Hydrogen gas formed by natural processes in the subsurface of mountain ranges could represent a promising source of clean energy. A new international study led by Unil and GFZ shows that erosion plays a key and complex role ...
Earth Sciences
May 18, 2026
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Isotope analysis of gas from geothermal springs in Zambia could show that a new continental rift is forming, scientists say. Unexpectedly high helium isotope ratios indicate that a weakness in Earth's crust has broken through ...
Earth Sciences
May 12, 2026
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About 600 million years ago, the continents wandered Earth, yet to settle into their current positions. Their locations during the Ediacaran (as this time is called) have been tough for scientists to pin down. Earth's magnetic ...
Earth Sciences
May 5, 2026
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