Image: Ocean-birth hg

Description: The genesis of an ocean: In plate tectonics, the formation of an ocean starts with a rifting process in the crust as a result of mantle convection. An example of this is the African Rift Valley. In the next stage, the valley has opened up until sea water enters; a good example is the Red Sea. The spreading process continues, the ocean becomes wider and forms a mature ocean like the Atlantic.
Title: Ocean-birth hg
Credit: Own work
Author: Hannes Grobe, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research
Permission: Own work, share alike, attribution required (Creative Commons CC-BY-SA-2.5)
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5
License: CC BY-SA 2.5
License Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5
Attribution Required?: Yes