mid-ocean ridge
Sign in to savebasaltic underwater mountain system formed by plate tectonic spreading
AI overview
A mid-ocean ridge is an underwater mountain range formed where tectonic plates spread apart and new rock rises up from Earth's interior. These ridges matter because they're where new oceanic crust is continuously created, making them central to how Earth's surface is constantly reshaping itself.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
Mid-ocean ridge cross-section (cut-away view)
A mid-ocean ridge (MOR) is a seafloor mountain system formed by plate tectonics. It typically has a depth of about 2,600 meters (8,500 ft) and rises about 2,000 meters (6,600 ft) above the deepest portion of an ocean basin. This feature is where seafloor spreading takes place along a divergent plate boundary. The rate of seafloor spreading determines the morphology of the crest of the mid-ocean ridge and its width in an ocean basin.