The Mid-Atlantic Ridge in Iceland. This area is the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, which move apart ~ 2.5 cm/year over millennia. When plate tectonics first emerged ...

Africa is gradually splitting along the Great Rift Valley, a process driven by Earth's mantle heat. This continental separation will form new oceans. Over millions of years, these drifting landmasses ...

Far beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean, Earth’s crust is slowly pulling apart. This process, known as seafloor spreading, occurs along mid-ocean ridges, where tectonic plates move apart, and ...