For 10 points, name this process that explains continental drift and by which the ocean floor expands at places like the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
This process can lead to the formation of back arcs. Evidence for this process includes low seismic wave velocities along ridges, as well as anomalously high heat flow values. This process first proposed by Harry Hess. The existence of this process is further supported by (*) magnetic striping, as well as the fact that the oldest sediment affected dates only to the Jurassic Period. It is thought to be behind the separation of Africa from East Asia, and older material involved in this process is gradually recycled through subduction. This process is most likely caused by convection in the asthenosphere. For 10 points, name this process that explains continental drift and by which the ocean floor expands at places like the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
This process can lead to the formation of back arcs. Evidence for this process includes low seismic wave velocities along ridges, as well as anomalously high heat flow values.
seafloor spreading