Final answer:
The continuous submarine mountain range that winds through all the oceans is called the mid-ocean ridge. It forms from tectonic plates diverging and molten rock rising from the mantle, creating the mountainous structures on the sea floor.
Step-by-step explanation:
The continuous submarine mountain range which winds through all the oceans is called the mid-ocean ridge. This underwater mountain system is created by an oceanic divergent plate boundary, where tectonic plates pull apart from each other. One of the most well-known sections of this extensive system is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Molten rock rises from the mantle to fill the space created by the separating plates, solidifying as basaltic lava and contributing to the formation and growth of these underwater ridges.
Unlike a rift, which is also a zone where plates are pulling apart, the mid-ocean ridge is specifically found underneath the ocean, forming a continuous mountain chain. A cordillera typically refers to a series of mountain ranges on land. Archipelago denotes a chain of islands, plume is a column of hot material rising within the mantle and is not used for topographic structures, and divide is a term often used for a ridge that separates waters flowing to different rivers or basins, but does not represent a continuous underwater mountain range as the mid-ocean ridge does.