mid-ocean ridge

noun \ ˈmid-ˈō-shən- \

|Updated on: 10 Jun 2018

Definition of mid-ocean ridge

: an elevated region with a central valley on an ocean floor at the boundary between two diverging tectonic plates where new crust forms from upwelling magma

Recent Examples of mid-ocean ridge from the Web

That could make more sense if mid-ocean ridge eruptions were pumping out extra CO2.

— scott k. johnson, Ars Technica, "End-Cretaceous asteroid impact seems to have juiced seafloor volcanoes," 8 Feb. 2018
There are submarine volcanoes, along Earth's mid-ocean ridges, that have been erupting longer.

— doyle rice, USA TODAY, "Hawaii volcano: The science behind the eruption of Kilauea," 7 May 2018
The mid-ocean ridges and dinosaurs continue their normal activity.

— Smithsonian, "The Meteorite That Killed the Dinosaurs May Have Also Triggered Underwater Volcanoes," 8 Feb. 2018
The mid-ocean ridges on the seafloor, however, keep records.

— scott k. johnson, Ars Technica, "End-Cretaceous asteroid impact seems to have juiced seafloor volcanoes," 8 Feb. 2018
The mid-ocean ridges erupt large volumes of magma, while the Deccan Traps eruptions flood lava across much of the Indian subcontinent.

— Smithsonian, "The Meteorite That Killed the Dinosaurs May Have Also Triggered Underwater Volcanoes," 8 Feb. 2018
However, this is only true for the faster-spreading mid-ocean ridges of the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

— scott k. johnson, Ars Technica, "End-Cretaceous asteroid impact seems to have juiced seafloor volcanoes," 8 Feb. 2018
This phenomenon may have resulted from repeating pulses of volcanism along mid-ocean ridges, which previous research has linked to cycles of ice ages and warming.

— terri cook, Scientific American, "Hunt for Flight MH370 Takes Searchers into Uncharted Territory," 1 July 2017
This new magma percolates its way to the surface and fuels nearly continuous volcanic activity along what are known as mid-ocean ridges.

— Smithsonian, "The Meteorite That Killed the Dinosaurs May Have Also Triggered Underwater Volcanoes," 8 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mid-ocean ridge.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.