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           | 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. | 
          
          
           | Date | 
           20 June 2007 | 
          
          
           | Source | 
           Own work | 
          
          
           | Author | 
            Hannes Grobe, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research | 
          
          
           Permission ( Reusing this file) | 
           
             Own work, share alike, attribution required (Creative Commons CC-BY-SA-2.5) 
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