on The Edge
The Mid-Atlantic ridge is a boundary between the North American and the Eurasian tectonic plates. This ridge extends from a junction with the Gakkel Ridge (Mid-Arctic Ridge) northeast of Greenland southward to the Bouvet Triple Junction in the South Atlantic. Almost all of this fascinating structure is located underwater except for a sliver of it located on land in Iceland. This is very special because its one of the only tectonic rifts located above ground. This certain ridge is separating at 3 mm a year, thus Iceland itself is separating. This ridge is also responsible for making Iceland what it is. This rift has created everything from dramatic cliffs to Iceland's largest natural lake. Not only that for the ridge is also responsible for the volcanic activity that formed the island. The ridge is also known as Reykjanes Ridge and is located in Thingvellir National park. The ridge has also formed the new island Surtsey which appeared in 1963.
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"Tectonics" of a divergent ridge
Divergent boundaries occur along spreading centers where plates are moving apart and new crust is created by magma pushing up from the mantle. Picture two giant conveyor belts, facing each other but slowly moving in opposite directions as they transport newly formed oceanic crust away from the ridge crest. This is the type of boundary that runs through Iceland.
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Sources:
epod.ursa.edu/blog/2010/08/mid-atlantic-ridge-in-iceland.html
pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/understanding.html
pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/understanding.html