The ridge is not a static monument but a dynamic boundary where the Earth's tectonic plates are perpetually moving apart, a process that began in the Jurassic period and continues to shape our world. Evidence from the Ocean Floor Geologists have determined the age of the ridge and the seafloor it creates through the study of magnetic striping and sediment accumulation.
The Jurassic Breakup: Tracing the Mid-Atlantic Ridge's Formation
Understanding when the Mid-Atlantic Ridge formed requires looking back hundreds of millions of years to a time when the continents we recognize today were joined together in a single supercontinent. The Breakup of Pangaea To answer the question of when the Mid-Atlantic Ridge formed, one must first understand the demise of Pangaea.
By analyzing the alternating patterns of magnetic minerals locked in the basaltic rock, scientists can see a symmetrical record of Earth's magnetic reversals flanking the ridge. 5 centimeters per year, a process that has been steadily widening the Atlantic Ocean for millions of years.
The Process Behind the Mid-Atlantic Ridge Formation
Impact on Global Geography. As the North American and Eurasian plates drifted to the north and west, and the South American and African plates moved in opposite directions, the space between them needed to be filled.
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