Tharp’s map provided some of the necessary missing evidence. If the ocean floor was spreading apart at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, it could explain how the continents had moved over time.

The water mass, named the Atlantic Equatorial Water, forms along Earth's equator as ocean currents mix separate bodies of water to the north and south.

A groundbreaking study unveils 117-million-year-old mud waves beneath the Atlantic, reshaping our understanding of its ...