T he natural, geologic process that occurs to create mid-ocean ridges is A) seafloor spreading. As new oceanic crust is formed at the mid-ocean ridges, the plates on either side of the ridge move away from each other. This is due to the magma rising from the mantle and solidifying at the ridge. As the magma solidifies, it creates new oceanic crust, which moves away from the ridge, allowing the plates to move apart. This process is known as seafloor spreading, and it is responsible for the creation and widening of the Atlantic Ocean, among other features of plate tectonics