The long and high mountain ranges found in the centers of several major oceans on Earth, such as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, are caused by
A) continuous and steady erosion of the seabed on either side of the mountains by powerful sea currents flowing across the oceans, such as the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic.
B) lava upflow as the tectonic plates on the seafloor split apart and separate.
C) rebound of the surface of Earth in the centers of the large craters that became the ocean basins after the impacts of the large planetesimals or asteroids early in Earth's history.
D) upthrust and buckling caused by seafloor motions from the continents toward the ocean centers, equivalent to the production of continental mountain ranges such as the Rockies.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The long and high mountain ranges found in the centers of several major oceans, like the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, are primarily caused by lava upflow as the tectonic plates on the seafloor split apart and separate. This process is known as seafloor spreading and is a key mechanism of plate tectonics.

The Long and High Mountain Ranges Found in the Centers