Sea Floor Spreading Reading

Hess believed that sea floor spreading is the answer to the mystery of continental drift.

Sea floor spreading reading.

3 the mid ocean ridge is found throughout the oceans of the earth. 586 7 10 13 15 16 guided reading. 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. 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 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 theory that oceanic crust forms along submarine mountain zones and spreads out laterally away from them. Layers of the earth pdf or google doc guided reading. Once students learn about the mid ocean ridge drifting continents and how the earth moves from the reading they can put their knowledge to the test with a works.

Once the basalt cools completely into solid rock the. Seafloor spreading occurs along mid ocean ridges large mountain ranges rising from the ocean floor. Plate boundaries pdf or google doc convection currents worksheet pdf or google doc sea floor spreading worksheet pdf or google doc coloring plates activity. Continental drift sea floor spreading pdf or google doc pg.

Their crystals are pulled into alignment by the earth s magnetic field just like a compass needle is pulled towards magnetic north. This is a 50 000 mile chain of volcanic mountains in the middle of the ocean. As magma starts to harden into rock iron rich minerals solidify first. Sea floor spreading the longest chain of mountains in the world is the system of mid ocean ridges.

This video goes over the process of sea floor spreading and the evidence that supports this theory. In the mid 1900s scientists mapped the mid ocean ridges using sonar. This lesson is the first day of a two day lesson involving the process of sea floor spreading. This sea floor spreading reading and worksheet gives your students a 2 page reading which is easy to comprehend and full of information.

Earlier theories by alfred wegener and alexander du toit of continental drift postulated that.