GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Atlantic Ocean growing by a few centimeters every year because of sea floor spreading. Seafloor spreading occurs at divergent plate boundaries as the tectonic plates slowly move away from each other. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is formed in the Atlantic ocean because of sea floor spreading.

Detailed explanation-2: -These days, the Atlantic Ocean is growing at a rate of five centimetres per year, as new sea floor is created by volcanic activity along its mid-ocean ridge. On the other hand, the much older Pacific Ocean is currently estimated to be shrinking by two to three centimetres each year.

Detailed explanation-3: -Because of seafloor spreading and the movement of the ocean floor and of the continents outward from the ridge, the Atlantic Basin is widening at an estimated rate of 1 to 10 cm (0.5 to 4 inches) a year.

Detailed explanation-4: -Europe and North America could be joined, creating new mountain chains. A newly discovered crack in the Earth’s crust could pull North America and Europe together and cause the Atlantic Ocean to vanish in about 220 million years, scientists say.

Detailed explanation-5: -Seafloor spreading occurs at divergent plate boundaries. As tectonic plates slowly move away from each other, heat from the mantle’s convection currents makes the crust more plastic and less dense. The less-dense material rises, often forming a mountain or elevated area of the seafloor. Eventually, the crust cracks.