Why Is There a Mid-Atlantic Ridge?

What Crafty Clover says in this video

Intro

Hi there, curious minds! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. Why is there a Mid-Atlantic Ridge?

The Big Idea

Deep under the Atlantic Ocean, two plates are slowly pulling apart! Hot rock rises into the gap, cools, and turns into brand new seafloor. That long, bumpy seam is called the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

Plates Pull Apart

Step one: plates pull apart. On one side of the Atlantic are the North and South American plates, and on the other are the Eurasian and African plates. They are moving away from each other very slowly.

Hot Rock Rises

Step two: hot rock rises. Hot rock from below moves up into the gap between the plates. Under the cold water, it cools and hardens into new rock, so the seafloor grows.

A Growing Ocean

Step three: a growing ocean. The Atlantic gets about 2.5 centimeters wider every year, about as fast as your fingernails grow. Over millions of years, that adds up to a whole ocean!

A Closer Look

Let's take a closer look! First, two plates drift apart. Next, hot rock rises into the gap. Then the rock cools and becomes new seafloor. Piece by piece, a mountain chain builds up.

Quick Facts

Quick facts! The ridge is part of a chain of mountains under the sea, which is the longest mountain range on Earth. Iceland sits right on top of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The seafloor near the ridge is the youngest. Most of the mountains are hidden deep underwater.

Think Like a Scientist

Now, think like a scientist! Ask a grown-up to help you cut two slots in a sheet of paper. Feed a long paper strip up through one slot and down through the other. Pull the two halves of the paper apart and watch new strip appear. Color the strip in stripes to see the seafloor grow!

Outro

A mountain seam makes new seafloor. Science is amazing! Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!