▁contin ents . ▁Pl ate ▁t ect on ics ▁was ▁a ▁suitable ▁explanation ▁for ▁se af loor ▁spread ing , ▁and ▁the ▁accept ance ▁of ▁plate ▁t ect on ics ▁by ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁ge olog ists ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁major ▁parad ig m ▁shift ▁in ▁ge ological ▁thinking . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁estimated ▁that ▁along ▁Earth ' s ▁mid - o cean ▁rid ges ▁every ▁year ▁ ▁of ▁new ▁se af loor ▁is ▁formed ▁by ▁this ▁process . ▁With ▁a ▁cr ust al ▁thick ness ▁of ▁, ▁this ▁amounts ▁to ▁about ▁ ▁of ▁new ▁ocean ▁cr ust ▁formed ▁every ▁year . ▁ ▁List ▁of ▁mid - o cean ▁rid ges ▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ ▁Gal ap ag os ▁Sp reading ▁Center ▁- ▁an ▁east - west ▁tr ending ▁mid - o cean ▁r idge ▁east ▁of ▁the ▁e pon ym ous ▁islands ▁between ▁the ▁Naz ca ▁and ▁C oc os ▁pl ates ▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ ▁( M id - Ar ctic ▁R idge ) ▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ ▁Kol be in sey ▁R idge ▁( N orth ▁of ▁I cel and ) ▁ ▁Moh ns ▁R idge ▁▁ ▁R idge ▁( between ▁Green land ▁and ▁Sp its ber gen ) ▁▁ ▁( S outh ▁of ▁I cel and ) ▁ ▁List ▁of ▁ancient ▁ocean ic ▁rid ges ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ ▁Ocean ▁chem istry ▁Ocean ic ▁cr ust ▁▁ ▁Project ▁F AM O US ▁– ▁first ▁man ned ▁subm ers ible ▁study ▁of ▁the ▁r ift ▁valley ▁of ▁the ▁Mid - At l antic ▁R idge ▁R I SE ▁project