Concept information
Preferred term
mid-ocean ridge
Definition
- 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. The production of new seafloor and oceanic lithosphere results from mantle upwelling in response to plate separation. The melt rises as magma at the linear weakness between the separating plates, and emerges as lava, creating new oceanic crust and lithosphere upon cooling. Most oceanic spreading centers are not in the middle of their hosting ocean basis but regardless, are traditionally called mid-ocean ridges. Mid-ocean ridges around the globe are linked by plate tectonic boundaries and the trace of the ridges across the ocean floor appears similar to the seam of a baseball. The mid-ocean ridge system thus is the longest mountain range on Earth, reaching about 65,000 km (40,000 mi). (Adapted from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-ocean_ridge)
Broader concept
Entry terms
- mid oceanic ridge
- mid-oceanic ridge
- mid ocean ridge
- MOR
- oceanic ridge
In other languages
-
French
-
dorsale médio océanique
-
dorsale médio-océanique
URI
http://data.loterre.fr/ark:/67375/QX8-4J6GWV8D-K
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