The Longest Mountain Range On Earth Is Hiding Underwater

And it is largely unknown.

(By Berann, Heinrich C., Heezen, Bruce C., Tharp, Marie. — https://picryl.com/media/manuscript-painting-of-heezen-tharp-world-ocean-floor-map-by-berann, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75218297)

Many people believe that the longest mountain range on Earth is the Andes in South America. And that is true, with a caveat. The Andes are the longest continental mountain range on Earth but not the largest overall. The true longest mountain range is hidden from view.

Unlike chains like the Himalayas, the Andes, or the Rockies, this chain does not have a catchy name. In fact, until recently, it barely had a name at all. The longest mountain range on Earth is the mid-ocean ridge system or MORS. It is a subaquatic mountain range that circles the whole globe.

If you look at the image above, you can see that on a relief image of Earth’s ocean floors, this mountain range becomes readily visible. The ocean floors are ringed by mountain peaks that circumnavigate the entire planet. This mountain range is home to soaring peaks, violent volcanoes, deep trenches and wild topography. Most people don’t realize it exists because most of it is hiding at the bottom of the world’s oceans. (A little less than 10% of this mountain system resides above water, largely in the Middle East.)

For the longest time, most geographers and geologists didn’t realize that these mountains form one continuous chain. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a prominent feature…