The Central Indian Ridge is an extensive underwater mountain range in the Indian Ocean, crucial in the formation of new oceanic crust and the separation of the African, Indo-Australian, and Antarctic plates. With a slow spreading rate of 26-40 mm/year, it features deep valleys, narrow ridges, and elevations of up to 1500m above the seafloor, including the Amsterdam Plateau with islands such as San Pablo and Ámsterdam. Its formation is linked to the Réunion hotspot, also responsible for the Mascarene Islands and the Deccan Traps. It is an area of active research to better understand the dynamics of the ocean floor.Wikipedia