Sea Floor Spreading E

Most basalt magmas contain abundant molten iron.

Sea floor spreading e.

These age data also allow the rate of seafloor spreading to be determined and they show that rates. Once the basalt cools completely into solid rock the. As upwelling of magma continues the plates continue to diverge a process known as seafloor spreading samples collected from the ocean floor show that the age of oceanic crust increases with distance from the spreading centre important evidence in favour of this process. Seafloor spreading occurs along mid ocean ridges large mountain ranges rising from the ocean floor.

Seafloor spreading is a process that occurs at mid ocean ridges where new oceanic crust is formed through volcanic activity and then gradually moves away from the ridge. The mid ocean ridge is the region where new oceanic crust is created. Further he claimed that continents would be pushed aside by the same forces that cause the ocean to grow. As magma starts to harden into rock iron rich minerals solidify first.

The concept of seafloor spreading was put forward by h harry hess an american geologist. He suggested that new sea floor forms at the oceanic ridges and spread outwards from the line of origin. The oceanic crust is composed of rocks that move away from the ridge as new crust is being formed. World war ii gave scientists the tools to find the mechanism for continental drift that had eluded wegener.

The formation of the new crust is due to the rising of the molten material magma from the mantle by convection current. Their crystals are pulled into alignment by the earth s magnetic field just like a compass needle is pulled towards magnetic north. Earlier theories by alfred wegener and alexander du toit of continental drift postulated that. 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.

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. Seafloor spreading theory that oceanic crust forms along submarine mountain zones and spreads out laterally away from them. The process of sea floor spreading.