East Pacific Rise
The East Pacific Rise is a fast-spreading mid-ocean ridge in the eastern Pacific Ocean that forms a divergent plate boundary and major center of seafloor spreading. Extending from near the mouth of the Gulf of California to the high southern latitudes where it transitions into the Pacific–Antarctic Ridge, it generates new oceanic crust and hosts prolific hydrothermal vent systems. The rise is characterized by high spreading rates, an axial high lacking a deep rift valley, and abundant volcanic and tectonic segmentation.
