Our oceans are filled with extraordinary stories that only a few people may know about.
What you’ve already known may be different from a scientific viewpoint.
In this blog, join me to explore and discover five mind-blowing facts about oceans.
Click here to continue…
5 Mind-Blowing Facts About Oceans
1. The world’s longest mountain range is under the ocean.
What do people usually think?
People think that the world’s longest mountain range is found on land.
When mountain ranges are mentioned, we usually imagine the famous Himalayas, which are the most prominent and visible, especially to hikers and climbers.
You won’t believe this, but the longest mountain is in the depths of the ocean.
Here is the astonishing reality:
According to the World Atlas, the Mid-Ocean Ridge is the world’s longest mountain range. This mountain has a total length of 65,000 km, with 90 percent of its system lying beneath the ocean.
This massive underwater system was formed through the movement of tectonic plates, where seafloor spreading created a continuous chain of ridges far longer than any range found on land.
2. We can detect Earth’s tectonic plates moving.
What do people usually think?
Many of us think that the rumbling sound we hear during an earthquake is caused by friction from tectonic plates.
We imagine the plates grinding against one another loudly beneath the Earth’s surface.
It’s hard to believe, but the sound we hear is not coming from tectonic plates.
Here is the astonishing reality:
Tectonic plates move only a few centimeters per year, which is far too slow to be heard by humans.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), what people often think is the sound of plates moving is the seismic waves causing the shaking and rumbling during earthquakes.
Indeed, this slow drift is responsible for shaping continents, creating mountain ranges, and opening new ocean basins over millions of years.
