Question

Distinguish between converging and diverging tectonic plates.

Answer 1

Hint: A tectonic plate is also known as a lithospheric plate is a massive and irregularly shaped slab of solid rock, which is formed due to subduction in which one plate slides under the other which occurred around 3 billion years ago and is composed of both continental and oceanic lithosphere. It varies across sizes from a few hundred kilometers to thousands of kilometers. The thickness also varies from less than 15 km of young tectonic plates to 200 km for ancient tectonic plates. The Pacific and Antarctic Plates are the largest.

Complete answer: A tectonic plate is also known as a lithospheric plate is a massive and irregularly shaped slab of solid rock, which is formed due to subduction in which one plate slides under the other which occurred around 3 billion years ago and is composed of both continental and oceanic lithosphere. There are various types of tectonic plates like Divergent, Convergent, Transform, and Plate Boundary Zone.
The differences between Convergent and Divergent plate boundaries are:

Converging Tectonic Plates	Diverging Tectonic Plates
Those in which the two plates slide towards each other to form a subduction zone in which one plate moves underneath the other or causes a continental collision	Those in which two plates slide apart from each other.
Also known as destructive plates.	Also known as constructive plates.
They result in the formation of explosive types of volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, etc.	They result in the formation of new oceanic crusts and the creation of transform faults, etc.
For example: Oceanic Nazca Plate subducts beneath the continental South American Plate at the Peru–Chile Trench.	For example: The East African Rift in eastern Africa and the Red Sea Rift.

Note: There are three types of plate boundaries based on the type of movement of the plates relative to each other. There is a fourth type which is a mixed type. Divergent, Convergent, Transform, Plate Boundary Zone.