Every year , the Americas are moving further aside from Europe and Africa . The separation between the Atlantic - facing Continent increases by 4 centimeters ( 1.6 inch ) per twelvemonth , but what was force this has been a moment of a puzzler . The dividing line where new plates are formed is known as the Mid - Atlantic Ridge . A ridge is normally driven by a balancing act between the lighter and punishing parts of tectonic plates . But this is not the case for the Atlantic ocean , which is not surrounded by dense sinking plates .
In a new paper release inNature , researchers suggest a new chemical mechanism to explain this process : the region experience an surge of matter from the mysterious layers of our major planet , which is agitate the continent aside .
One possibility was an upwelling of fabric from the mantle , the region beneath the Earth ’s cheekiness . These tend to originate at depth of 60 km ( 37 miles ) but the one driving the Mid - Atlantic Ridge is much bass , over 10 times those depths .
To act upon out this mystery the team of research worker embark on two research cruise deploy 39 seismographers at the bottom of the Atlantic ocean on each side of the ridge . This is one of the few experiments to have hit the books the mantle below the ocean ’s level in such detail . In fact , it deliver the first declamatory - plate and high-pitched - solving imaging of the blanket .
“ This was a memorable mission that took us a total of 10 weeks at sea in the midriff of the Atlantic Ocean . The incredible results shed new light in our understanding of how the Earth ’s inside is tie in with plate plate tectonics , with observance not run across before , ” lead author Dr Matthew Agius , from Università degli studi Roma Tre , say in astatement .
In particular , they studied how social organisation changed between depths of 410 and 660 kilometers ( 255 and 410 nautical mile ) . They also observed abrupt change to mineral phase , which suggests the mien of an upwelling .
The findings suggest that the Mid - Atlantic Ridge is an fighting player in the plate plate tectonic theory of the region . Since , plate architectonics influence earthquakes and volcano , as well as sea grade , understand their role help oneself us improve our planetary and climate models , leading to better warning systems for natural disasters .
“ This was completely unexpected . It has large-minded implications for our understanding of Earth ’s evolution and habitableness , ” carbon monoxide gas - source Dr Kate Rychert from the University of Southampton , impart . “ It also demonstrates how crucial it is to gather fresh data from the oceans . There is so much more to explore ! ”
