What Is The Mid-Atlantic Ridge?

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a mountain range of the Atlantic and The Arctic Ocean. This mountain range lies chiefly under water and runs from 87 degree north to sub Antarctic Bouvet Island at 54 degree south. Some of the highest peaks of this mountain range come out of water and form islands.

The Mid Atlantic Ridge is a part of global mid-oceanic ridge system and thought to be the result of divergent separating tectonic plates; the North Plate forming Eurasian plate in the North Atlantic, and the South American Plate forming African Plate in the South Atlantic. These plates are still in movement at the rate of 5-10 cm per annum in the direction of east-west.

Bruce Heezen and Mary Tharp are the people responsible for the discovery of the ridge in the year 1950. Wegner's theory was corroborated by this discovery and also leads to propagating the theory of seafloor spreading.

It's a separation point for two tectonic plates in mid ocean in the Atlantic.