Introduction to Mid-Ocean Ridges
1. Who is NOAA?
NOAA or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is a leader in exploring the geologic and biologic mysteries of the deep sea.
2. What is the mid-ocean ridge and what happens there?
A series of sea floor spreading and where new earth is formed.
3. How long/wide is the mid-ocean ridge system and where is it located?
The mid-ocean ridge is more than 65000km long and 1500km wide. It is located in the ring of fire.
4. What type of plate boundary forms a mid ocean ridge system?
Divergent plate boundaries for mid ocean ridges.
5. Explain how ridges are formed.
During the process of divergent boundaries, the plates pull away, cracks form, and as "cracks penetrate deeply into the crust, a rift valley drops between them. This allows magma to ooze out through these cracks forming new earth.
6. What forms most of the ocean crust?
The magma that oozes out of the cracks cools down and forms most of the oceanic crusts.
7. How does hot lava respond to cool water?
When hot lava is exposed to cold water, it forms pillow shaped bodies.
8. What is happening at the Juan de Fuca ridge?
It is forming new crusts every 100 years.
9. What does the rate of spreading dictate?
It influences the topography of the ridge.
10. How hot can sea water be heated at the mid-oceanic ridges?
The sea water can be as hot as 400 degrees Celsius.
11. Explain how Hydrothermal vents are formed.
The salt water that seeps into the cracks carries the minerals and eventually the minerals come back out through the hydrothermal vents.
12. Why is hot mineral water so important? What do they support?
Hot mineral water is so important because many species thrive on specific temperatures and types of water. They support the unique creatures at the bottom of the ocean.
13. What is chemosynthesis and how does it differ from photosynthesis?
Chemosynthesis is the process organisms use to produce energy without the use of the sunlight. It differs from photosynthesis because while photosynthesis relies on sunlight, chemosynthesis relies on oxidation of chemicals in the Earth’s crust.