Question 6: Mid-ocean Ridge (Points: 4) a) Why is the mid-ocean ridge topographi

Question

Question 6: Mid-ocean Ridge (Points: 4)
a) Why is the mid-ocean ridge topographically elevated above the surrounding ocean floor?
b) Why does the elevation gradually decrease away from the ridge axis? Question 6: Mid-ocean Ridge (Points: 4)
a) Why is the mid-ocean ridge topographically elevated above the surrounding ocean floor?
b) Why does the elevation gradually decrease away from the ridge axis? Question 6: Mid-ocean Ridge (Points: 4)
a) Why is the mid-ocean ridge topographically elevated above the surrounding ocean floor?
b) Why does the elevation gradually decrease away from the ridge axis?

Explanation / Answer

a) The mid oceanic ridge topographically elevated above the surrounding ocean floor because the mantle beneath these ridges are hotter than surrounding mantles. This makes the ridge hotter than surrounding areas and so has less density and so ridges elevated above the surrounding ocean floor.

b) The mid oceanic ridges are formed by divergent plate boundary and molten magma from mantle rises very slowly through these vents with high viscosity and so lava could not be able to reach far away from the ridges. This help ridge to elevate vertically and so elevation decrease away from the ridges.

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