Sea Floor Spreading Definition Geography

Fellow scientists at the time thought the theory was ludicrous.

Sea floor spreading definition geography.

Seafloor spreading theory that oceanic crust forms along submarine mountain zones and spreads out laterally away from them. The mid atlantic ridge for instance separates the north american plate from the eurasian plate and the south american plate from the african plate the east pacific rise is a mid ocean ridge that runs through the eastern pacific ocean and separates the pacific plate from the north american. This idea played a pivotal role in the development of the theory of plate tectonics which revolutionized geologic thought during the last quarter of the 20th century. The concept of seafloor spreading was put forward by h harry hess an american geologist.

Ocean currents waves and geophysical fluid dynamics. Plate tectonics and the geology of the sea. Further he claimed that continents would be pushed aside by the same forces that cause the ocean to grow. The rate at which new oceanic lithosphere is added to each tectonic plate on either side of a mid ocean ridge is the spreading half rate and is equal to half of the spreading rate.

Alfred wegener a german meteorologist born in 1880 developed the idea of continental drift. Oceanography compound of the greek words ὠκεανός meaning ocean and γράφω meaning write also known as oceanology is the study of the physical and biological aspects of the ocean it is an important earth science which covers a wide range of topics including ecosystem dynamics. He suggested that new sea floor forms at the oceanic ridges and spread outwards from the line of origin. He suggested that continents moved around the earth like giant rafts.

Sea floor spreading synonyms sea floor spreading pronunciation sea floor spreading translation english dictionary definition of sea floor spreading. Seafloor spreading occurs along mid ocean ridges large mountain ranges rising from the ocean floor. Geography and other reference data is for informational purposes only. Plate tectonics theory convection currents and sea floor spreading.

Spreading rates determine if the ridge is fast intermediate or slow. The concept of sea floor spreading. Spreading rate is the rate at which an ocean basin widens due to seafloor spreading. Seafloor spreading definition a process in which new ocean floor is created as molten material from the earth s mantle rises in margins between plates or ridges and spreads out.

Maps and other data gathered during the war allowed scientists to develop the seafloor spreading hypothesis this hypothesis traces oceanic crust from its origin at a mid ocean ridge to its destruction at a deep sea trench and is the mechanism for continental drift.