Earth Sea Floor Spreading Test

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.

Earth sea floor spreading test.

Layers of the earth pdf or google doc. Wherever continents are bordered by deep sea trench systems as in the pacific ocean the ocean floor is plunged downward underthrusting the continents and ultimately reentering and dissolving in earth s mantle from which it had originated. The earth is divided into three layers the atmosphere the lithosphere and the. The mid ocean ridge is the region where new oceanic crust is created.

The oceanic crust is composed of rocks that move away from the ridge as new crust is being formed. 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. This quiz and worksheet can help you gauge your understanding of seafloor spreading and how it occurs. About this quiz worksheet.

The process of sea floor spreading. Ocean floor quiz ocean floor quiz. Spreading rate is the rate at which an ocean basin widens due to seafloor spreading. Click here if you are a student at snowflake heber or holbrook to access the susd5 student version of seafloor spreading assignment.

See also continental drift a veritable legion of evidence supports the seafloor spreading hypothesis. In this section we are going to take alfred wegener s thoughts a little further. Spreading rates determine if the ridge is fast intermediate or slow. As years pass lateral segments of seafloor will thus share the same signature on either side of the mid oceanic ridge.

A test of the hypothesis of sea floor spreading was provided by studies of the earth s magnetism. Ocean floor test yourself ocean floor test yourself. 9 questions by mr diaz last updated. Purchase this seafloor spreading activity at teachers pay teachers for 1 50 cents.

Let s explore another idea called seafloor spreading. As the ocean seafloor spreads the newly formed floor will adapt a specific magnetic signature according to the earth s magnetic pole at that time. The earth s magnetic field the earth s magnetic field is thought to arise from the movement of liquid iron in the outer core as the planet rotates. The formation of the new crust is due to the rising of the molten material magma from the mantle by convection current.

You will be quizzed on basalts and earth s magnetic field.