The Pacific Plate is primarily considered a divergent plate in the context of its interaction with the North American Plate and the Eurasian Plate along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. However, it’s important to note that it also has convergent boundaries with other plates, like the North American Plate along the Aleutian Islands, where subduction occurs.
At divergent boundaries, tectonic plates move apart, and new crust is formed as magma rises to the surface. This process can be seen along the East Pacific Rise, where the Pacific Plate is moving away from the North American Plate. In contrast, at convergent boundaries, one plate is forced under another, leading to various geological features and phenomena such as earthquakes and volcanic activity. This is evident at the junction of the Pacific and North American Plates. Therefore, while the Pacific Plate exhibits divergent behavior in some areas, it also has significant convergent interactions with other plates.