• The Pacific Ocean is SHRINKING!!!!! Ha-ha, no need to panic or get a life vest. This takes a long time, and even when it’s gone, it won’t hurt anybody. It’s just a process that’s making the Pacific Ocean smaller and the Atlantic bigger. It happens so slowly that a lot of us won’t be here when it’s gone. So there is nothing to worry about.
    One of the things that are causing this to happen is a process called “Sea-Floor Spreading”. This process happens when a valley or ridge in the middle of the ocean, also known as a “mid-ocean ridge”, forms at the ocean floor. This “ridge” is sort of a “cut” in the ocean floor that is an opening for magma, or molten material, to come through and spew out on both sides of the ridge. As this cycle continues, the old rock is pushed aside and goes farther out, carrying the plates above it with it. This is Sea-Floor Spreading.

    Now, you might be asking “How can the magma never run out?” Actually, that is a very good question. How can magma never run out? You might be thinking this is a dumb question, because the mantle so big and the material would never run out. But not everything lasts forever, so this wouldn’t be the case. See, there are “drain- like” ditches in the ocean floor called trenches. As water goes through these trenches, the material sinks back into the mantle. This process is called subduction.

    The 3rd thing that connects with the concept of the Pacific Ocean shrinking is Earth’s “tectonic plates”. These “plates” are pieces of Earth’s lithosphere that drift along the surface of the planet. Think of plates on Earth like cracked pieces of an egg’s outer shell.
    Now, we can’t know all this in an instant. We have scientific proof. Both mid-ocean ridges and earthquakes have made a connect-the-dots- like thing to identify our plates.

    While I’m talking about the tectonic plates, let me talk to you about the three types of “boundaries”. There is the convergent, divergent, and transform. A convergent boundary is when two plates converge, or move, toward each other. If the other plate is an ocean, then, since the ocean plate has more mass, the ocean plate subducts under the other. If the other plate is a continent, then they both collide with an equal mass and possibly make mountain ranges.
    {Note- This is how the Himalayas formed so high in Asia when India collide with southern Asia.}
    A divergent boundary is when two plates diverge, or repel each other. This usually makes rift valleys, or “ditch-like” valleys. A lot of plates are going through this kind of boundary.
    Last, but not least is the transform boundary. This happens when there is a “fault” in two plates. A fault is when two plates slide past each other. This is the cause of earthquakes, which is how, when put on a map, it makes the plates clearly visible.
    While these boundaries are making plates change into all sorts of sizes and shapes, they are also making them move. This is the last most important reason why the Pacific Ocean is getting smaller. See, some of the plates are moving towards the Pacific, and, as they get closer, they tend to make the Pacific smaller, while, at the same time, giving the Atlantic a lot more room and making it bigger. If you don’t know what I mean, picture standing by yourself somewhere. Now, picture yourself somewhere extremely crowded, such as a car show. Now you see what I mean? I’m glad you do.

    Now you see how the Pacific Ocean is getting smaller. In summary, if you ever get asked “Why is the Pacific Ocean shrinking” or something similar, just remember these three reasons:
    1. Mid-Ocean Ridges and Sea-Floor Spreading
    2. Trenches and Subduction, and
    3. Tectonic plates and their movements and boundaries.