The Mid-Atlantic Ridge

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge extends for about 16,000 km along the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the global mid-ocean ridge system, which spans roughly 65,000 km and forms Earth’s longest mountain chain. More than 90% of this global system lies underwater; its axial zone emerges above sea level in Iceland. Thus, about 40,000 km is not the length of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge itself—it is roughly the mile equivalent of the 65,000 km global system.