Antarctic Plate

The Antarctic Plate encompasses the Antarctic continent and the surrounding oceanic crust. Uniquely, it is almost entirely surrounded by divergent boundaries - mid-ocean ridges where new crust is continuously being created. This unusual configuration means the plate is slowly expanding in all directions. The harsh, ice-covered landscape sits atop some of Earth's oldest continental crust, while the surrounding ocean floor is relatively young, formed at the encircling spreading ridges.