A mid-ocean ridge is a seafloor mountain system formed by plate tectonics. It typically has a depth of ~ 2,600 meters and rises about two kilometers above the deepest portion of an ocean basin. This feature is where seafloor spreading takes place along a divergent plate boundary.

What is a mid-ocean ridge in science?

The mid-ocean ridge is the most extensive chain of mountains on Earth, stretching nearly 65,000 kilometers (40,390 miles) and with more than 90 percent of the mountain range lying in the deep ocean. ... The ridge system forms the longest and largest mountain range on Earth, winding its way between the continents.

What is the function of the Mid Oceanic Ridge?

Mid-ocean ridges are the longest, largest and most voluminous magmatic environment on Earth. Ridges are the site of new lithospheric and crustal production that may be subsequently subducted into the mantle and recycled, or involved in magma-producing dehydration reactions that slowly build up continental crust (Fig.