Sea Floor Spreading National Geographic

Plate tectonics also explains the stripes of rock on the seafloor with alternating magnetic properties.

Sea floor spreading national geographic.

Seafloor spreading proves that the ocean itself is a site of tectonic activity. Supporters of continental drift originally theorized that the continents moved drifted through unmoving oceans. April 21 2011 scientists use cameras and sonar near the u s. As buoyant molten rock rises up from deep within earth it emerges from the space between spreading tectonic plates and hardens creating a ridge.

Keeping earth in shape seafloor spreading is just one part of plate. Continental shelf 300 feet continental slope 300 10 000 feet abyssal plain 10 000 feet abyssal hill 3 000 feet up from the abyssal plain seamount 6 000 feet. This records that there is a constant movement and spreading of rocks on the ocean floor. The following features are shown at example depths to scale though each feature has a considerable range at which it may occur.

National geographic society jeanna sullivan national. Britannica national geographic photo by. Seafloor spreading occurs along mid ocean ridges large mountain ranges rising from the ocean floor. Virgin islands to see the seafloor and find out how fish and other sea life use the underwa.

It was concluded that the sea floor is composed of different rocks according to ages and that they are positioned equally in opposite directions.