Scientists Capture Ocean Floor Spreading in Real Time

For the first time, researchers watched the Earth's crust split open on the seafloor—and measured it as it happened. Sensors deployed during an expedition in April 2025 caught a spreading event using two independent methods, yielding nearly identical rates of about 61–63 millimeters per year. The breakthrough bridges a longstanding gap between magnetic and GPS measurements, validating new technology for monitoring the planet's hidden geology.