Geology of the Pacific Ocean Geology of the Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean evolved in the Mesozoic from the Panthalassic Ocean, which had formed when Rodinia rifted apart around 750 Ma. The first ocean floor which is part of the current Pacific Plate began 160 Ma to the west of the central Pacific and subsequently developed into the largest oceanic plate on Earth. The tectonic plates continue to move today. The slowest spreading ridge is the Gakkel Ridge on the Arctic Ocean floor, which spreads at less than , while the fastest, the East Pacific Rise near Easter Island, has a spreading rate of over
Nansen Academy Nansen Academy The Nansen Academy – Norwegian Humanistic Academy () is a folk high school in Lillehammer, Norway. Nansen Academy was founded as a humanist and anti-totalitarian institution. The school was named after polar explorer, scientist, author and humanist Fridtjof Nansen (1861-1930). His work embodied essential elements of humanism: active love of one’s neighbour and freedom of thought. The school was established in 1938 by Kristian Vilhelm Koren Schjelderup, Jr. (1894–1980) Bishop of the Diocese of Hamar together with future Norwegian Resistance Movement members Anders Platou Wyller (1903-1940) and Henriette Bie Lorentzen (1911–2001). Its first school year started in 1939.