Not Just a Flat Bottom!
Many people think the ocean floor is flat and sandy, but it is actually MORE dramatic than the land surface! The ocean floor has taller mountains, deeper valleys, and longer ranges than anything on land.
The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is an underwater mountain range that stretches 10,000 miles — it is the longest mountain range on Earth! It runs right down the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
Underwater volcanoes (called seamounts) dot the ocean floor. There are more than 100,000 of them! When they grow tall enough to break the surface, they become islands. Hawaii was formed by underwater volcanoes!
There are also flat areas called abyssal plains — the flattest places on Earth. They are covered in layers of fine sediment that has drifted down over millions of years.