Iceland is situated on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a classic divergent plate boundary. Here, the North American and Eurasian plates are pulling apart. As the plates separate, magma rises from the mantle to fill the gap, creating new oceanic crust through effusive volcanic activity. Iceland is a unique location where this underwater ridge rises above sea level. ANSWER: (C) The Mid-Atlantic Ridge (Iceland)
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Iceland is one of the few places on Earth where a divergent plate boundary is visible on land. It sits atop the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates are moving away from each other at a rate of about two centimeters per year. This rifting creates deep fissures that allow basaltic magma to reach the surface, forming new land. Unlike the explosive volcanoes of subduction zones, Icelandic volcanism is primarily “fissure-based” and effusive. This constant creation of crust makes Iceland a vital geographical site for studying seafloor spreading and tectonic divergence.