To fill the gap of separating plates.
To fill the gap of separating plates.
To fill the gap of separating plates.
To fill the gap of separating plates.
The mid-ocean ridge is where new oceanic crust is formed as tectonic plates pull apart. This process, known as seafloor spreading, allows magma to rise from the mantle, solidify, and create new oceanic crust. As the crust forms at the mid-ocean ridge, it pushes older crust away, driving the movement of lithospheric plates.
The mid-ocean ridge is where tectonic plates diverge, allowing magma from the mantle to rise up and create new crust. As the magma cools and solidifies, it forms new oceanic lithosphere, which pushes the existing plates apart and drives the movement of the lithospheric plates. This process is known as seafloor spreading and is a key mechanism of plate tectonics.
Fill the gap between separating plates.
Seafloor continues to move away from the mid-ocean ridge and eventually comes into contact with another plate boundary. Ocean plates subduct underneath continental plates and are forced down into the lithosphere
Fill the gap between separating plates.
This process is called seafloor spreading. As magma rises from the mantle to the surface at mid-ocean ridges, it cools and solidifies to form new oceanic lithosphere. This continuous process helps in the expansion of the ocean basins and the movement of tectonic plates.
This process is called seafloor spreading. It occurs at mid-ocean ridges where tectonic plates move apart, allowing magma to rise from the mantle and solidify as new oceanic lithosphere. As the plates continue to separate, the new lithosphere gets pushed away from the ridge, creating a continuous cycle of formation and movement.
The movement of tectonic plates is primarily driven by the heat and flow of mantle convection beneath the Earth's lithosphere. This convection creates currents that drag the plates along, causing them to move. Additional factors, such as ridge push and slab pull, also contribute to plate motion.
As the oceanic lithosphere moves away from a mid-ocean ridge, it cools and thickens. This process causes the ocean floor to become older and denser, resulting in its gradual subsidence. The farther it gets from the ridge, the deeper the ocean floor becomes due to the increased thickness and weight of the lithosphere.