oceanic plate tectonics

Oceanic plate tectonics involves the movement of Earth's rigid oceanic crust beneath the seas. These plates are large slabs that float on the semi-liquid mantle below. They constantly shift due to convection currents in the mantle, causing oceanic plates to diverge, converge, or slide past each other. Diverging boundaries create new crust as magma rises, forming mid-ocean ridges. Converging boundaries lead to subduction, where one plate sinks beneath another, creating deep ocean trenches and volcanic activity. This dynamic process shapes seafloor features, influences earthquake activity, and plays a key role in Earth's geological cycle.