Since a large percentage of the mid-ocean ridge system remains uncharted and unsampled, studying the diverse processes involved in the generation of new oceanic crust is an ambitious goal that requires international cooperation. The Ridge InterDisciplinary Global Experiment (RIDGE) initiative is doing just that in cooperation with InterRIDGE, an international organization of countries active in mid-ocean ridge research. Over the next few years RIDGE will explore the virtually unstudied spreading centers of the Indian Ocean, and InterRIDGE will target the slow-spreading Southwest Indian Ridge. -From Authors