Undersea Mountains: The Mid--Ocean Ridges Mid--ocean ridges, the longest mountain chains on Earth, are formed at divergent plate boundaries where two oceanic plates move apart.

海底山脉：大洋中脊 大洋中脊是地球上最长的山脉，形成于两个大洋板块分开的不同板块边界处。

At the mid--ocean ridges, hydrothermal vents support unique ecosystems, where organisms derive energy from chemicals spewed out of the vents, a process known as chemosynthesis.

在大洋中脊，热液喷口支撑着独特的生态系统，生物体从喷口喷出的化学物质中获取能量，这一过程被称为化学合成。

These patterns showed that new crust was being formed at mid--ocean ridges and slowly moving away on either side, a process known as sea--floor spreading.

这些模式表明，新的地壳正在大洋中脊处形成，并缓慢地向两侧移动，这一过程称为海底扩张。

Deep Ocean Trenches: The Subduction Zones In contrast to mid--ocean ridges, deep ocean trenches form at convergent plate boundaries, where one plate descends, or 'subducts, ' beneath another.

深海海沟：俯冲带 与洋中脊相反，深海海沟形成于会聚板块边界处，其中一个板块下降或“俯冲”到另一个板块下方。

Life at the Rifts and Trenches While the conditions at mid--ocean ridges and deep--sea trenches are extreme, with high pressures, temperatures, and total darkness, life has found a way to thrive.

裂谷和海沟中的生命虽然洋中脊和深海海沟的条件极其恶劣，高压、高温和完全黑暗，但生命却找到了繁衍生息的方法。