why is the seafloor spreading
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Seafloor Spreading Seafloor spreading is one of the two major processes of plate tectonics, the other being subduction. Seafloor spreading is the continuous process of forming new igneous rock at midocean ridges by injection of magma that forms new seafloor. The process is continuous because forces cause opposite sides of the midocean ridge to constantly move apart, making new room for the process to repeat.
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Seafloor spreading Earlier theories (e.g. by Alfred Wegener and Alexander du Toit) of continental drift were that continents ploughed through the sea. The idea that the seafloor itself moves (and carries the continents with it) as it expands from a central axis was proposed by Harry Hess from Princeton University in the 1960s.t the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (and in other areas), material from the upper mantle rises through the faults between oceanic plates to form new crust as the plates move away from each other, a phenomenon first observed as continental drift.
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Seafloor spreading The differences in spreading rates affect not only the geometries of the ridges but also the geochemistry of the basalts that are produced. Since the new oceanic basins are shallower than the old oceanic basins, the total capacity of the world's ocean basins decreases during times of active sea floor spreading.
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seafloor spreading This rock (basalt) becomes a new part of Earth’s crust. Seafloor spreading occurs along mid-ocean ridges—large mountain ranges rising from the ocean floor. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge, for instance, separates the North American plate from the Eurasian plate, and the South American plate from the African plate.
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How does seafloor spreading occur? Seafloor spreading occurs along mid-ocean ridges. Mid-ocean ridges  are large mountain ranges on the ocean floor. The shifting in the  rock causes the seafloor to spread and… allows magma to bubble and  form more mountains on the ocean floor.
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seafloor spreading Abundant evidence supports the major contentions of the seafloor-spreading theory. First, samples of the deep ocean floor show that basaltic oceanic crust and overlying sediment become progressively younger as the mid-ocean ridge is approached, and the sediment cover is thinner near the ridge.eafloor spreading Theory that explains how continental drift occurs. It proposes that the ocean floor is moved laterally as new basalt rock is injected along mid-ocean ridges, and so the ocean floor becomes older with increasing distance from the ridge. See also plate tectonics.
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Why do you think geologists might find Iceland a useful place to carry on research on seafloor spreading? Iceland was formed because of volcanic activity caused by sea floor spreading along the Mid Atlantic Ridge.
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Seafloor Spreading 1 Seafloor spreading takes place at midocean ridges and produces basalt, the rock that makes up the oceanic crust. 2  The Mid-Atlantic Ridge and East Pacific Rise are examples of midocean ridges.
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Seafloor spreading Mid-ocean ridge - Description. 1  Mid-ocean ridges are geologically active, with new magma constantly emerging onto the ocean floor and into the crust at and near rifts along the ridge axes. 2  The rocks making up the crust below the seafloor are youngest along the axis of the ridge and age with increasing distance from that axis. New magma of basalt composition emerges at and near the axis because of decompression melting in the underlying Earth's mantle.
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seafloor spreading Abundant evidence supports the major contentions of the seafloor-spreading theory. First, samples of the deep ocean floor show that basaltic oceanic crust and overlying sediment become progressively younger as the mid-ocean ridge is approached, and the sediment cover is thinner near the ridge.ole of the Spreading Center. In 1962 Hess proposed that the seafloor was created at mid-ocean ridges, spreading in both directions from the ridge system. At the spreading center, liquid rock called basaltic magma rises from the earth's mantle as it upwells beneath the spreading axis.
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- What occurs at plate boundaries that are associated with seafloor spreading? Question Date: 2011-10-18: Answer 1: At plate boundaries where sea-floor spreading occurs, magma wells up to fill the space created by the plates that are moving apart. Check out this United States Geologic Survey (USGS) educational animation to see visually how it works:
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- Iceland is a place where, because of large amounts of lava extrusion, the ocean floor is, in effect, above sea level, making it easy to study ocean floor spreading. You can affix strain gauges on many parts of the spreading ridge. 6 people found this useful.
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Sea Floor Spreading and Polar Reversal So, some of the stripes of ocean floor would have normal polarity, meaning that the minerals in those rocks produced a magnetic field aligned in the same direction as the earth's present-day magnetic field.ea floor spreading is the process by which new oceanic crust is formed by the upwelling of magma through diverging tectonic plates. Learn about the relationship between sea floor spreading and polar reversals detected on the ocean floor.
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- The sea floor spreads apart at divergent boundaries. In the ocean, divergent boundaries are also called spreading centers.Mid-ocean ridges mark these sites where the ocean floor is spreadingapart. As the ridges continue to widen, a gap called a forms. Here molten material rises to build new crust.he records are the same on either side of the ridge.As scientists continued to map the ocean floor, they found morerecords of these reversals. By dating the rock, scientists had furtherevidence of plate movement. The youngest rock records the mostrecent reversal, which happened only about 760,000 years ago.
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When does seafloor spreading occurs? This new crust flows away from each ridgeline in two symmetric sheets, one on each side. The rate of sea-floor spreading resulting from this process is from 1 to 20 centimetres per year, depending on the particular mid-ocean ridge. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge offers a particularly clear case of sea-floor spreading.
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Seafloor spreading A mid-ocean ridge is an underwater mountain system formed by plate tectonics.he rocks making up the crust below the seafloor are youngest at the axis of the ridge and age with increasing distance from that axis. New magma of basalt composition emerges at and near the axis because of decompression melting in the underlying Earth's mantle.
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How do the ages of the rocks on the ocean floor support the theory of seafloor spreading? Convergence supports the theory of seafloor spreading. Samples of the deep ocean floor are evidence of seafloor spreading because the basaltic oceanic crust and overlapping s … ediment become younger as the mid-ocean ridge is approached.Also, the rock that makes up the floor of the ocean is younger than the continents.amples of the deep ocean floor are evidence of seafloor spreading because the basaltic oceanic crust and overlapping s … ediment become younger as the mid-ocean ridge is approached. Also, the rock that makes up the floor of the ocean is younger than the continents.
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What Is Sea-Floor Spreading? In sea-floor spreading, the sea floor spreads apart along both sides of a mid-ocean ridge as new crust is added. As a result, the ocean floors move like conveyor belts, carrying the continents along with them.n sea-floor spreading, the sea floor spreads apart along both sides of a mid-ocean ridge as new crst is added. As a result, the ocean floors move like conveyor belts, carrying the continents along with them.
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- Seafloor spreading is the extension of oceanic lithosphere that  occurs where two oceanic plates are moving apart.eafloor spreading is the extension of oceanic lithosphere that  occurs where two oceanic plates are moving apart.
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- The Continental Slide New crust is continually being pushed away from divergent boundaries (where sea-floor spreading occurs), increasing Earth's surface. But the Earth isn't getting any bigger.
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- Sea Floor Spreading Sonar Mid-Ocean Ridge ocean is spreading open!!! pillow lava magnetic stripes Drilling rock samples If new crust is being added to Earth’s surface, is Earth getting bigger? Subduction is a process where the ocean floor sinks back into the mantle at a deep ocean trench.
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What is Sea floor Spreading? Sea-floor spreading occurs where oceanic plates are diverging from one another. Plates are huge slabs into which the crust as well as the upper part of the mantle (the intermediate zones between the Earth’s crust and core) is divided.As the plates move apart, the rocks break and form a crack between the plates.mage Credit: Main Image: Sea-floor spreading is the process in which the ocean floor is extended when two plates move apart. Plates are huge slabs into which the crust as well as the upper part of the mantle (the intermediate zones between the Earth’s crust and core) is divided.
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What is Sea floor Spreading? Image Credit: Main Image: Sea-floor spreading is the process in which the ocean floor is extended when two plates move apart. Plates are huge slabs into which the crust as well as the upper part of the mantle (the intermediate zones between the Earth’s crust and core) is divided.s a result, the age of the rocks increases as one move away from the rift-zone (place where the earth’s crust is pulled apart). The mid-oceanic ridge is the primary site for sea-floor spreading. Earthquakes and volcanoes are where sea-floor spreading occurs.
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Ocean floor features Convection currents in the molten mantle cause the plates to slowly move about the Earth a few centimeters each year. Many ocean floor features are a result of the interactions that occur at the edges of these plates. The shifting plates may collide (converge), move away (diverge) or slide past (transform) each other.
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Why do tectonic plates move? Tectonic plates never stop moving, this process is called continental drift. Tectonic plates move because of convection currents. These convection currents happen in the mantle, underneath the tectonic plates. The heat, which causes the convection currents, is produced from the radioactive decay left over from the Earths formation.
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seafloor spreading Role of the Spreading Center. In 1962 Hess proposed that the seafloor was created at mid-ocean ridges, spreading in both directions from the ridge system. At the spreading center, liquid rock called basaltic magma rises from the earth's mantle as it upwells beneath the spreading axis.bundant evidence supports the major contentions of the seafloor-spreading theory. First, samples of the deep ocean floor show that basaltic oceanic crust and overlying sediment become progressively younger as the mid-ocean ridge is approached, and the sediment cover is thinner near the ridge.