Describe Why Seafloor Spreading Is Like A Moving Conveyor Belt

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Describe Why Seafloor Spreading Is Like A Moving Conveyor Belt?

In sea-floor spreading the sea floor spreads apart along both sides of a mid-ocean ridge as new crust is added. As a result the ocean floors move like conveyor belts carrying the continents along with them.

Why is seafloor spreading like a moving conveyor belt?

Describe why seafloor spreading is like a moving conveyor belt. In seafloor spreading new oceanic crust is added at the mid-ocean ridge and as intrusion continues seafloor moves toward the edge of the oceanic plate where it is ultimately pulled back down into the magma below.

How would you describe seafloor spreading?

Seafloor spreading is a geologic process in which tectonic plates—large slabs of Earth’s lithosphere—split apart from each other. Seafloor spreading is a geologic process in which tectonic plates—large slabs of Earth’s lithosphere—split apart from each other. … Seafloor spreading occurs at divergent plate boundaries.

What causes seafloor spreading?

Seafloor spreading creates new oceanic crust at a mid-ocean ridge. When this new material reaches the end of the plate and comes into contact with another plate whether continental or not a convergent or a transform boundary will occur.

Is sea floor spreading a tension or compression?

It was originally thought that the intrusion of new material forced the cooling crust to move away from the ridge symmetrically on either side. It is now generally believed that the crust and part of the upper mantle are under tension at a spreading center.

What is one of the main lines of reason behind the theory of seafloor spreading quizlet?

OCEAN LAB EXAM 1/2 Flashcards | Quizlet.

What causes seafloor spreading to occur quizlet?

During sea-floor spreading magma erupts along a mid-ocean ridge to form new oceanic lithosphere. The floor then moves away from the ridge often toward a trench at the edge of the ocean basin. … The pattern shows that ocean floor forms along mid-ocean ridges and then moves away from the ridge.

What causes tectonic plates to move?

Tectonic shift is the movement of the plates that make up Earth’s crust. … The heat from radioactive processes within the planet’s interior causes the plates to move sometimes toward and sometimes away from each other. This movement is called plate motion or tectonic shift.

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What is the importance of seafloor spreading in understanding the origin of plate movement?

Significance. Seafloor spreading helps explain continental drift in the theory of plate tectonics. When oceanic plates diverge tensional stress causes fractures to occur in the lithosphere.

What is seafloor spreading quizlet?

What happen when the seafloor spread?

Sea-floor spreading is what happens at the mid-oceanic ridge where a divergent boundary is causing two plates to move away from one another resulting in spreading of the sea floor. As the plates move apart new material wells up and cools onto the edge of the plates.

How does seafloor spreading move the continents?

Seafloor spreading is the mechanism for Wegener’s drifting continents. Convection currents within the mantle take the continents on a conveyor-belt ride of oceanic crust that over millions of years takes them around the planet’s surface.

What does the seafloor spreading theory state?

seafloor spreading theory that oceanic crust forms along submarine mountain zones known collectively as the mid-ocean ridge system and spreads out laterally away from them. As the magma cools it is pushed away from the flanks of the ridges. …

How is the seafloor like a giant conveyor belt?

What is spreading Centre in geology?

spreading centre in oceanography and geology the linear boundary between two diverging lithospheric plates on the ocean floor. … Spreading centres are found at the crests of oceanic ridges.

How was sea floor spreading tested as a hypothesis?

Since the oldest oceanic crust was found at the edges of the trenches Hess hypothesized that the seafloor subducts into Earth’s interior at the trenches to be recycled in the mantle. As oceanic crust forms and spreads moving away from the ridge crest it pushes the continent away from the ridge axis.

What statement most accurately describes the theory of seafloor spreading?

What statement most accurately describes the theory of seafloor spreading? a. Oceanic crust continuously forms across the seafloor and is moved by subduction zones toward mid-oceanic ridges where it is consumed.

How does the movement of Earth’s tectonic plates result in many geologic features?

The movement of these tectonic plates is likely caused by convection currents in the molten rock in Earth’s mantle below the crust. Earthquakes and volcanoes are the short-term results of this tectonic movement. The long-term result of plate tectonics is the movement of entire continents over millions of years (Fig.

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How do fossils help prove that the continents move?

One type of evidence that strongly supported the Theory of Continental Drift is the fossil record. Fossils of similar types of plants and animals in rocks of a similar age have been found on the shores of different continents suggesting that the continents were once joined.

How does the movement of tectonic plates create new mountains?

Mountains form where two continental plates collide. Since both plates have a similar thickness and weight neither one will sink under the other. Instead they crumple and fold until the rocks are forced up to form a mountain range. As the plates continue to collide mountains will get taller and taller.

What causes continents to move Hess?

Photo: Harry Hess argues that the continents had once been one and have drifted apart. … After much thought he proposed in 1960 that the movement of the continents was a result of sea-floor spreading. In 1962 he added a geologic mechanism to account for Wegener’s moving continents.

What causes the seafloor to spread apart at mid ocean ridges quizlet?

What causes the sea floor to spread apart at mid-ocean ranges? Hot magma rises through the boundaries at the mid-ocean ranges creating new rock as it cools and pushing the plates apart.

What tectonic plate movement causes earthquakes?

Earthquakes occur along fault lines cracks in Earth’s crust where tectonic plates meet. They occur where plates are subducting spreading slipping or colliding. As the plates grind together they get stuck and pressure builds up. Finally the pressure between the plates is so great that they break loose.

What are three causes of plate movement?

Mantle dynamics gravity and Earth’s rotation taken altogether causes the plate movements. However convectional currents are the general thought for the motion.

Which plate boundary and movement commonly create ridges like the Mid Atlantic oceanic ridge explain how ridges can be created by plate tectonics?

Mid-ocean ridges occur along divergent plate boundaries where new ocean floor is created as the Earth’s tectonic plates spread apart.

Which of the following statements best explains how seafloor spreading helps to explain continental drift?

The youngest seafloor is found near the middle of ocean basins and the gaps between continents match up with the spreading centers. The continental crusts float on top of the lithosphere and do not interact with oceanic crusts so the continents moved independently of seafloor spreading.

What is the importance of seafloor?

Sea floor sediment provide an invaluable key to past climate change. Finely varved sediments from areas of rapid deposition provide a high-resolution record of past climate variation and volcanic ash layers contribute to the comprehensive study of climate change on relatively short timescales.

Why do continents move?

Today we know that the continents rest on massive slabs of rock called tectonic plates. The plates are always moving and interacting in a process called plate tectonics. The continents are still moving today. … As the seafloor grows wider the continents on opposite sides of the ridge move away from each other.

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Which statement describes the cyclic nature of seafloor spreading?

The Statements that describe the cyclic nature of seafloor spreading are as follows New oceanic crust is formed.

Where does the old crust move when the seafloor spreads?

During sea-floor spreading oceanic crust forms at the mid-ocean ridge. This crust gradually moves toward a subduction zone where old crust sinks beneath a trench. As sea-floor spreading occurs old oceanic plates sink into the mantle in the process of subduction. Subduction zones are near the edges of oceanic plates.

How seafloor spreading occurs in the mid ocean ridge?

Seafloor spreading is the process by which new oceanic lithosphere forms at mid-ocean ridges. As tectonic plates move away from each other magma rises from Earth’s interior. It then cools and solidifies in the center of the ridge. The rising magma pushes up between the plates and drives them further apart.

What is the movement of convergent plate boundaries?

Convergent (Colliding): This occurs when plates move towards each other and collide. When a continental plate meets an oceanic plate the thinner denser and more flexible oceanic plate sinks beneath the thicker more rigid continental plate. This is called subduction.

Does sea floor spreading cause earthquakes?

Volcanic activity causes the seafloor to spread along oceanic ridges forming new areas of crust and mantle. … This contraction can trigger oceanic earthquakes.

What are some features of seafloor spreading describe each one?

Seafloor spreading produces major characteristics of the seafloor – 1) the age of the seafloor is progressively older away from midocean ridges 2) the elevation of the seafloor is progressively lower away from midocean ridges 3) the magnetic history of the seafloor bears the striped-pattern of the Earth’s magnetic …