Sea Floor Spreading Activity

Some of the worksheets for this concept are sea floor spreading work sea floor spreading a model of seafloor spreading inside earth work magnetic reversals activity name date sea floor spreading l 1 2 3 5 4 ovr l lesson 3 seafloor profiling seafloor spreading and subduction.

Sea floor spreading activity.

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. Mantle convection is the slow churning motion of earth s mantle. Once the basalt cools completely into solid rock the. Sea floor spreading earth science post module 2 middle school page 3 the youngest rock will always be closest to the ridge area and the oldest will be on the outside closest to the continents.

This choice is left up to the teacher depending on the reasoning skills of the students. 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. Contents 1 history of study. Displaying top 8 worksheets found for activity seafloor spreading.

Alternatively this lesson can be taught after the concept of seafloor spreading so the evidence can be put into context. The purpose of this activity is to make a simple model that shows the evolution of oceanic crust through sea floor spreading. The mid ocean ridge is where the seafloor spreading occurs in which tectonic plates large slabs of earth s lithosphere split apart. Convection currents also recycle lithospheric materials back to the mantle.

A model of seafloor spreading purpose. Most basalt magmas contain abundant molten iron. Convection currents carry heat from the lower mantle and core to the lithosphere. Their crystals are pulled into alignment by the earth s magnetic field just like a compass needle is pulled towards magnetic north.

Seafloor spreading and other tectonic activity processes are the result of mantle convection. When taught in series the lessons proceed in much the same way that scientists discovered seafloor spreading and plate tectonics. Seafloor spreading theory that oceanic crust forms along submarine mountain zones and spreads out laterally away from them. Seafloor spreading is a geologic process where there is a gradual addition of new oceanic crust in the ocean floor through a volcanic activity while moving the older rocks away from the mid oceanic ridge.