Cracking Open the Ocean's Secrets For decades, scientists have been studying plate tectonics, but their understanding has been based on observing the end result rather than the process itself.
The formation of new crust at mid ocean ridges is a cornerstone of how continents are pulled apart, yet the specifics of this phenomenon remain mysterious.
A recent observation by a French team on the Australian Antarctic plate boundary is significant. They captured a sudden burst of spreading remotely just two months after installing equipment on the ocean floor.