Mid-Atlantic Ridge

American  

[mid-at-lan-tik, mid-at-lan-] / ˈmɪd ætˈlæn tɪk, ˌmɪd ætˈlæn- /

noun

1. a north-south suboceanic ridge in the Atlantic Ocean from Iceland to Antarctica on whose crest are several groups of islands; shown by plate tectonics to be the axis along which North America has split away from Eurasia, and along which South America has split away from Africa.

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Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Iceland has 33 active volcano systems and sits over what's known as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the boundary between two of the largest tectonic plates on the planet.

From BBC ● Feb. 8, 2024

It sits atop the continually spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the North American plate to the west and the Eurasian plate to the east are gradually pulling apart.

From National Geographic ● Jul. 24, 2023

Situated on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the sparsely populated island nation, home to 370,000 people, has a large quantity of volcanic features.

From New York Times ● Jul. 10, 2023

A recent expedition to locate more of these vents yielded a new find: a group of “black smoker” vents emitting water of 645 degrees Fahrenheit along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge near Puerto Rico.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 30, 2023

Scientists diving in submersibles have seen this process up close at the volcanic Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where tectonic plates are tugged apart and mantle rocks rise up to create fresh slabs of ocean crust.

From Science Magazine ● Feb. 15, 2023