The Earth is producing "new" crust where two plates
are diverging or spreading apart. This occurs in the middle of our
great oceans. The mid-ocean ridges are the longest continually running
mountain range in the world. These ridges are connected and are about
40,000 miles long!!
One of these mid-ocean ridges, the Mid-Atlantic ridge , is
spreading apart making the Atlantic Ocean wider. As the two plates move the
mantle melts, making magma and lava fill the void with newly formed
rock. The bottom of the Atlantic Ocean is filled with some of the
"youngest" crust on Earth. The island of Iceland, located in the North
Atlantic, is still being formed at this Mid-Atlantic ridge.
Click on the "Next" button to learn how the Earth destroys
"Old Crust"!!!
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