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What is a mid-ocean ridge?

GeologyPlate Tectonics

Quick Answer

A mid-ocean ridge is a long underwater mountain chain where new oceanic crust is created. It forms at divergent plate boundaries.

The Full Story

Mid-ocean ridges are among the largest volcanic systems on Earth, stretching for tens of thousands of kilometers across the seafloor. As tectonic plates pull apart, magma rises and solidifies to form new basaltic crust. This process is central to seafloor spreading and plate tectonics. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a famous example, but the global ridge system is much longer than any mountain chain on land.

Key Facts

1.site of new ocean crust formation
2.occurs at divergent plate boundaries
3.part of the global plate-tectonic system

YouTube Angle

Suggested video title for this topic:

"The underwater mountain range where Earth makes new crust"