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News: Secrets of ocean birth laid bare 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5191384.stm#graphic
 
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Maps of the Atlantic Ocean Floor

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Arcturus
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« on: December 29, 2007, 12:53:02 am »

The following will be a study of the Atlantic Ocean floor with as many maps as I can find:

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Arcturus
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« Reply #1 on: December 29, 2007, 12:54:07 am »



Examination of a world map reveals a striking match between the shapes of the east coast of South America and the west coast of Africa. The two continents appear as though they could fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. The matching shape of their coasts is one of the most obvious pieces of evidence that suggests these two continents were once joined.
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Arcturus
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« Reply #2 on: December 29, 2007, 12:55:55 am »



Iceland [near center] is part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge that owes its very existence to the molten rock, or magma, that wells up through the rifts along the ridge. Scientists believe Iceland rose from the sea floor about 20 million years ago. Continuous spreading, accompanied by eruptions along Iceland's section of the ridge, widens the country by about one inch per year.

Over one third of Iceland's 40,000 square miles is volcanically active and loaded with lava fields. Elsewhere, magma too far below the surface to create volcanoes heats the rock above, sending the heated groundwater percolating to the surface in the form of "hot springs." Iceland is far enough north so that it should be entirely covered by ice and snow, like Greenland to the west. The heat generated by the ridge, however, keeps the country in a constant state of thaw, distinguishing it as the Land of Fire and Ice.

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Arcturus
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« Reply #3 on: December 29, 2007, 12:57:24 am »



In the late 18th century Benjamin Franklin hypothesized that Africa
and South America
were once joined. We now know that he was right. Approximately 20 million years ago these two continents were one. Then a giant rift, or separation, developed between them. As the two land masses separated, the surrounding water rushed in to fill the gap between them, and the Atlantic Ocean was born. They've been drifting apart about 5 centimeters per year - for the past 20 million years!-as the Atlantic continues to widen.   
What began as a small crack in the Earth's crust is now the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a giant undersea mountain range. As magma rises to escape along this ridge new crust is formed, sea-floors spread, and continents drift around the globe.
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Arcturus
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« Reply #4 on: December 29, 2007, 01:00:36 am »



Gain a better understanding of the ocean floor with this vibrantly colored Raised Relief World Map.  This striking map of the World captures the geography of the continents and the ocean floor. Ridges, trenches, mountains, continental shelves, continental slopes and islands are all depicted in exceptional detail. The Ocean Floor Raised Relief Map is also available with our framing options, including black, gold, and pewter plastic frames and oak wood frames. Unframed map measures 26" x 39".  Raised Relief Maps are a superior visual reference. Fully three-dimensional, these vacuum-formed vinyl maps use shaded relief to represent altitude gradation and topographic diversity.
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