The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a crucial geological feature that illustrates the movement of tectonic plates and the drifting of continents. It marks the boundary where the North American Plate and the Eurasian Plate are moving apart, as well as where the South American Plate and the African Plate are separating. This process is known as seafloor spreading. As magma rises from beneath the Earth's crust at the ridge, it creates new oceanic crust, pushing the continents on either side further away from each other. This ongoing movement supports the idea that continents are not fixed but are instead slowly drifting over time. The existence of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge provides evidence of this continuous process, demonstrating how tectonic activity shapes the positions of continents in the ocean.
Continents Adrift?
Continents Adrift?
The following text was adapted from articles created by the National Museum of Natural History for its educational website.
Constructed Response Question
The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a line of underwater volcanoes that runs approximately north-south down the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
Based on your knowledge of the motion of tectonic plates, briefly explain how the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is related to the moving continents described in the text. Be sure to support your explanation with evidence from the text.
(SHORT ANSWER IN YOUR OWN WORDS)
1 answer