Sea Floor Spreading Definition Geography

Seafloor spreading occurs along mid ocean ridges large mountain ranges rising from the ocean floor.

Sea floor spreading definition geography.

This information should not be considered complete up to date and is not intended to be. 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. Plate tectonics and the geology of the sea. The concept of seafloor spreading was put forward by h harry hess an american geologist.

Alfred wegener a german meteorologist born in 1880 developed the idea of continental drift. Further he claimed that continents would be pushed aside by the same forces that cause the ocean to grow. Plate tectonics theory convection currents and sea floor spreading. 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.

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. Ocean currents waves and geophysical fluid dynamics. Sea floor spreading synonyms sea floor spreading pronunciation sea floor spreading translation english dictionary definition of sea floor spreading. Spreading rates determine if the ridge is fast intermediate or slow.

The mid atlantic ridge for instance separates the north american plate from the eurasian plate and the south american plate from the african plate the east pacific rise is a mid ocean ridge that runs through the eastern pacific ocean and separates the pacific plate from the north american. Seafloor spreading theory that oceanic crust forms along submarine mountain zones and spreads out laterally away from them. Geography and other reference data is for informational purposes only. Enjoy the videos and music you love upload original content and share it all with friends family and the world on youtube.

Fellow scientists at the time thought the theory was ludicrous. He suggested that continents moved around the earth like giant rafts. Oceanography compound of the greek words ὠκεανός meaning ocean and γράφω meaning write also known as oceanology is the study of the physical and biological aspects of the ocean it is an important earth science which covers a wide range of topics including ecosystem dynamics. He suggested that new sea floor forms at the oceanic ridges and spread outwards from the line of origin.

Spreading rate is the rate at which an ocean basin widens due to seafloor spreading.