The Longest Mountain Range on Earth Is Mostly Under the Ocean
The longest mountain range on Earth is the mid-ocean ridge, which spans 40,389 miles around the globe, with about 90 percent of it under the ocean.
The mid-ocean ridge. NOAA says it spans 40,389 miles around the globe and that about 90 percent of it is under the ocean.
Explanation
The longest mountain range on the planet is one that most people will never see. NOAA’s National Ocean Service states that the longest mountain range on Earth is the mid-ocean ridge, spanning 40,389 miles around the globe. About 90 percent of the mid-ocean ridge system is under the ocean, which is why it is so little known compared with ranges on land. NOAA offers a helpful picture of its shape. The system of mountains and valleys criss-crosses the globe, resembling the stitches in a baseball. It is not a single straight line of peaks but a connected network that wraps around the Earth. According to NOAA, the ridge is formed by the movement of the Earth’s tectonic plates.
Source and verification
- Source
- NOAA National Ocean Service Tier A
- Last verified
- Confidence
- 95 out of 100
- Verified by
- Ali Ahmad Chaudhry