Seafloor Spreading Definition Geography

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.

Seafloor spreading definition geography.

The seafloor moves and carries continents with it. At ridges in the middle of oceans new oceanic crust is created. Seafloor spreading and other tectonic activity processes are the result of mantle convection. 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.

Convection currents also recycle lithospheric materials back to the mantle. 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. Spreading rate is the rate at which an ocean basin widens due to seafloor spreading. World war ii gave scientists the tools to find the mechanism for continental drift that had eluded wegener.

The motivating force for seafloor spreading ridges is tectonic plate pull rather than magma pressure although there is typically significant magma activity at spreading ridges. Geography and other reference data is for informational purposes only. Sea floor spreading synonyms sea floor spreading pronunciation sea floor spreading translation english dictionary definition of sea floor spreading. Convection currents carry heat from the lower mantle and core to the lithosphere.

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. These age data also allow the rate of seafloor spreading to be determined and they show that rates. Mantle convection is the slow churning motion of earth s mantle. 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.

Seafloor spreading happens at the bottom of an ocean as tectonic plates move apart.