The distinction between active and passive margins refers to whether a crustal boundary between oceanic lithosphere and continental lithosphere is a plate boundary. Active margins are found on the edge of a continent where subduction occurs. … Passive margins are only passive in that they are not active plate boundaries.

What is the difference between an active continental margin and a passive continental margin quizlet?

What is the difference between a passive and active continental margin? Passive Continental Margins- Found along most coastal areas that surround the Atlantic Ocean. … Active Continental Margins- where the oceanic lithosphere is being sub ducted beneath the continent. Often associated with deep ocean trenches.

Which is an example of a passive tectonic margin?

Examples of passive margins are the Atlantic and Gulf coastal regions which represent setting where thick accumulations of sedimentary materials have buried ancient rifted continental boundaries formed by the opening of the Atlantic Ocean basin.