How did the breakup of Pangea lead to the formation of the Atlantic Ocean?

The formation of the Atlantic Ocean is a direct result of the fragmentation of the supercontinent Pangea, a process driven by the mechanisms of plate tectonics and seafloor spreading.12

Beginning approximately 180 to 200 million years ago, Pangea began to rift apart. As the lithospheric plates separated, molten magma from the mantle rose to fill the gaps, cooling to form new oceanic crust at the crests of oceanic ridges. This process created the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a continuous submarine mountain chain that serves as the site of ongoing seafloor spreading.3214

As new crust is generated at the ridge, it is pushed outward in opposite directions, effectively carrying the continents with it and widening the Atlantic basin. This gradual separation—occurring at an average rate of about 2.5 cm per year—explains why the coastlines of South America and Africa, as well as North America and Europe, exhibit a near-perfect fit when their continental shelves are aligned.142