How the largest seamounts

Mountain chain in the open ocean for the first time the existence of a large "mountains" on the ocean floor was discovered by a team of scientists aboard the British warship "Challenger" in 1872, when they searched for suitable sites for placement of underwater telegraph cables. Later, in 1925, were carried out soundings for the submission of the topography of the seabed in that area. The discovery of the fact that the ocean floor is not only mountains, but also mountain ranges, having a greater extent than any mountain range on land, it was stunning. Once on mapping the sea floor has been spent years revealed that the longest continuous mountain chain in the world passes through the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. She was named "Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and determine its length: over 40 000 km! What was most surprising is the discovery of active volcanoes throughout the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Scientists have speculated on trying to explain so extensive volcanic activity. At that time nobody believed that volcanic eruptions can occur under tremendous pressure at the depth of the seabed. Nevertheless, from the crevices in the seafloor seep lava, and on the surface there was no hint of this stunning scientific fact. All these processes occur silently, invisibly, in the deep sea, and scientists still do not know how much time is this geological phenomenon. The process of formation of seamounts in the course of special scientific expeditions have collected samples of solidified lava from the seafloor. The studies were conducted in close proximity to areas of volcanic activity. Were collected a huge amount of primary material, which allowed to solve several puzzles that have brought mankind underwater lava flows. Mid-Atlantic Ridge researchers used magnetic anomalies identified in the lava rocks to determine their age - to find out how old they are and how they formed. With this method, they found that most "fresh" young rock at the heart of mountain ranges, and the oldest - at a considerable distance from the center. This indicated that the submarine volcanoes have created a kind of "platform" on which the formation of new ocean floor, and that the crust on the ocean floor due to tectonic processes proved to be stretched or even torn along the crevices. This phenomenon in the scientific world became known as "growth boundaries of tectonic platforms." Mountain chain in the South Pacific, Growing the boundary was located at the office or divergence of tectonic platforms. In some parts of that border is sinking crustal thinning under tension - as the African East Valley crevices, which are located in the Dead Sea. Most of the proliferating borders located deep in the ocean, on the seabed. Is the highest volcanic activity, since the crust is broken. New crust is formed by injection of magma located deep in the earth's mantle up through fissures formed as a result of differences platforms. Long chains of seamounts (eg Mid-Atlantic Ridge) and volcanic islands (like Iceland) are usually the hallmark of the platform margin of this type. See also: Land Basin biggest edifice that was built on the planet living beings ... It flows from the rocks water ordinary record of a tsunami wave height Desert-record the largest lake in the world based on the volume and surface area record highs over the world have a rival Everest! The deepest point of the oceans cuho Here, as in the space where much warmer planet Fridge not very deep, but one of the longest caves Powerful tremors did not bring trouble, but the tsunami places of extreme temperatures longest river on earth the Dead Sea - why is it called so? The place where the biggest annual rainfall Ice celestial bombardment Giants ice kingdom's longest bridge in the world