What is a mid-ocean ridge simple definition?

What is a mid-ocean ridge simple definition?

: an elevated region with a central valley on an ocean floor at the boundary between two diverging tectonic plates where new crust forms from upwelling magma.

Where is the mid-ocean ridge?

Atlantic Ocean
Mid-Atlantic Ridge, submarine ridge lying along the north-south axis of the Atlantic Ocean; it occupies the central part of the basin between a series of flat abyssal plains that continue to the margins of the continental coasts.

What is a Mid Oceanic Ridge example?

Mid-ocean ridges form where two tectonic plates are pulling apart, also called seafloor spreading. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which is spreading one to two inches a year, along with the East Pacific Rise, which is spreading two to six inches a year, are two examples of very long mid-ocean ridges.

What is the mid-ocean ridge made of?

The material that erupts at spreading centers along the mid-ocean ridge is primarily basalt, the most common rock on Earth. Because this spreading occurs on a sphere, the rate separation along the mid-ocean ridge varies around the globe.

What is a mid-ocean ridge for kids?

A mid-ocean ridge is an underwater mountain system. This consists of mountain chains, with a rift valley running along its spine, formed by plate tectonics. A mid-ocean ridge marks the boundary between two tectonic plates which are moving apart. A mid ocean ridge is made by a divergent boundary.

What is a mid-ocean ridge quizlet?

mid-ocean ridge. an undersea mountain chain where new ocean floor is produced at a divergent plate boundary.

What type of rock is formed at mid ocean ridges?

Igneous rock
Igneous rock is formed by the cooling and crystallization of molten magma at volcanoes and mid-ocean ridges, where new crust is generated. Examples of igneous rock are basalt, granite, and andesite (Fig. 7.57 A).

What is oceanic ridge in geography?

oceanic ridge, continuous submarine mountain chain extending approximately 80,000 km (50,000 miles) through all the world’s oceans. Collectively, the oceanic ridge system is the most prominent feature on Earth’s surface after the continents and the ocean basins themselves.

What is the mid-Atlantic Ocean ridge Why is it important?

Mid-ocean ridges are geologically important because they occur along the kind of plate boundary where new ocean floor is created as the plates spread apart. Thus the mid-ocean ridge is also known as a “spreading center” or a “divergent plate boundary.” The plates spread apart at rates of 1 cm to 20 cm per year.

What is Mid-Atlantic Ridge theory?

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) is known as a mid-ocean ridge, an underwater mountain system formed by plate tectonics. It is the result of a divergent plate boundary that runs from 87° N – about 333 km (207 mi) south of the North Pole – to 54 °S, just north of the coast of Antarctica.

Which is the best description of a mid-ocean ridge?

A mid-ocean ridge or mid-oceanic ridge is an underwater mountain range, formed by plate tectonics. This uplifting of the ocean floor occurs when convection currents rise in the mantle beneath the oceanic crust and create magma where two tectonic plates meet at a divergent boundary.

What is a mid oceanic ridge where is it formed give an example of one quizlet?

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is when the seafloor spreads and forms a mountain underwater. An example is the extension from south of Iceland to the extreme South Atlantic Ocean near 60° S latitude. It bisects the Atlantic Ocean basin, which led to the earlier designation of mid-ocean ridge for features of this type.

How many mid ocean ridges are there?

There are two main mid-ocean ridges in Earth’s two main oceans. The Mid Atlantic Ridge is right in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, running north to south. This ridge spreads about 2 to 5 cm per year (that’s around one inch), which is rather slow. It tends to form bigger mountains because the magma (or lava,…

How long is the mid ocean ridge?

Consisting of one continuous mountain range with four prominent branching ranges, the mid-ocean ridge has a continuous length of 40,400 mi (65,000 km). The total length of the system is 49,700 mi (80,000 km). The mid-ocean ridge has an average height of about a mile.

Is the mid ocean ridge underwater?

A mid-ocean ridge (MOR) is an underwater mountain system formed by plate tectonics. It consists of various mountains linked in chains, typically having a valley known as a rift running along its spine. This type of oceanic mountain ridge is characteristic of what is known as an ‘oceanic spreading center’, which is responsible for seafloor spreading.

What is mid ocean?

The mid-ocean ridge wraps around the globe for more than 65,000 km like the seam of a baseball. The average depth to the crest (top) of the ridge is 2500 m, but it rises above sea-level in Iceland and is more than 4000 m deep in the Cayman Trough.