The Atlantic Ocean Is Getting Wider As Europe, Africa, And The Americas Are Pushed Apart – IFLScience

Every year, the Americas are moving further away from Europe and Africa. The separation between the Atlantic-facing continents increases by 4 centimeters (1.6 inches) per year, but what was driving this has been a bit of a puzzler. The dividing line where new plates are formed is known as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. A ridge is usually driven by a balancing act between the lighter and heavier parts of tectonic plates. But this is not the case for the Atlantic ocean, which is not surrounded by dense sinking…

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