Why Does The Elevation Of The Seafloor Decrease From The Mid-ocean Ridge To The Abyssal Plain??
Why does the elevation of the seafloor decrease from the mid-ocean ridge to the abyssal plain? The oceanic lithosphere cools and becomes denser.
Why does the seafloor near the reach be younger than those far from the ridge?
Why is the seafloor so young? It is due to the process of subduction oceanic crust tends to get colder and denser with age as it spreads off the mid-ocean ridges. It gets so dense that it sinks in the upper mantle (subduction).
What causes the ocean floor to deepen?
During seafloor spreading lithosphere and mantle cooling contraction and isostatic adjustment with age cause seafloor deepening. … In addition the cooling plate model explains the almost constant depth and heat flow observed in very old seafloor and lithosphere.
What explains the high elevations of mid-ocean ridges and the flanks of rift valleys?
Because mid-ocean ridges lie at a higher elevation than the rest of the ocean floor gravity causes the ridge to push on the lithosphere that lies farther from the ridge.
What happens at the mid-ocean ridge Make sure to discuss the age of the sea floor?
Scientists can determine the age of the seafloor by examining the changing magnetic field of our planet. … How to form magnetic striping: new oceanic crust forms continuously at the mid-ocean ridges. While it cools down it records the magnetic field during its formation.
How will seafloor spreading affect the movement of plate tectonics?
What happens to the age of the seafloor as distance increases away from the Mid Atlantic ridge?
Why is the ocean deeper over older ocean floor than younger ocean floor?
As new oceanic crust moves away form the ridge axis the crust and uppermost mantle directly beneath it cooling by losing heat to the ocean above. … The ocean is deeper over older ocean floors than younger floors.
Which factor affects the temperature of ocean water?
The temperature of ocean water varies by location – both in terms of latitude and depth due to variations in solar radiation and the physical properties of water.
How is the deep ocean floor different from the shallow parts of the ocean floor near land?
How is the deep ocean floor different from the shallow parts of the ocean floor near land? The deep ocean floor is flatter than the parts of the ocean floor than parts of the ocean floor near the land. the deep ocean floor is steeper than the parts of the ocean floor near the land.
What happens at mid-ocean ridges?
What contributes to the high thermal energy flow readings near the center of a mid-ocean ridge?
The high thermal-energy flow at a mid-ocean ridge comes from seawater. 9. Magnetic bands on the ocean floor are evidence that Earth’s magnetic field changes.
What happens to older oceanic crust as new rock is formed during seafloor spreading?
The older rock moves outward on both sides of the ridge as new rock forms in the center of the ridge from cooling of molten material. This process is sea floor spreading. … Instead the ocean floor plunges into deep underwater canyons called deep-ocean trenches. At a deep-ocean trench the oceanic crust bends downward.
What is the primary reason for the elevated position of the oceanic ridge system?
The primary reason for the elevated position of the ridge system is that newly created oceanic lithosphere is hot and therefore less dense than cooler rocks of the deep-ocean basin.
What is seafloor spreading and how does it affect the continents?
Seafloor spreading creates new oceanic crust at a mid-ocean ridge. … On one side the oceanic crust is subducted below the continental crust. On the other side the two plates collide in a transform boundary which is a horizontal type of movement. The latter is the closest we really come to continents drifting.
At which type of boundary is seafloor destroyed?
Seafloor spreading is when the sea floor spreads apart. This occurs at Divergent Boundaries. At which type of boundary is seafloor destroyed? The seafloor is destroyed at a COnvergent Boundary.
How seafloor spreading occurs in the mid-ocean ridge and the formation of the new oceanic crust?
What is the role of mid-ocean ridge in the movement of lithospheric plates?
Mid-ocean ridges are the longest largest and most voluminous magmatic environment on Earth. Ridges are the site of new lithospheric and crustal production that may be subsequently subducted into the mantle and recycled or involved in magma-producing dehydration reactions that slowly build up continental crust (Fig.
How do ocean ridges and deep sea trenches support the theory of seafloor spreading?
How do ocean ridges and deep-sea trenches support the theory of seafloor spreading? THE THEORY OF SEAFLOOR SPREADING STATES THAT OCEAN RIDGES ARE PLACES WHERE NEW OCEAN CRUST IS FORMED TRENCHES ARE PLACES WHERE IT IS DESTROYED. … THESE DATA ARE CONSISTENT WITH NEW CRUST FROMING AT RIDGES AND BEING DESTROYED AT TRENCHES.
What happens to the age of seafloor rocks moving away from a mid-ocean ridge quizlet?
According to plate tectonic theory new ocean floor is created at mid-ocean ridges due to seafloor spreading. The new basalt is pushed off the ridge into deeper water and it becomes older as it moves further away from the ridge.
What happens to the age of the ocean floor rocks as the distance from the Mid Oceanic ridge increases quizlet?
Deeper seafloor moving toward the plate boundary. What happens to the age of seafloor rocks moving away from a mid-ocean ridge? the rocks get older.
How does the rate of seafloor spreading affect sea level?
The increased rate of seafloor spreading caused sea level to rise. Increasing the rate of seafloor spreading inflates the ridge. Hot young lithosphere is forming and moving away from the ridge at a faster rate and moves a greater distance from the ridge before it cools and contracts. … So sea level rises.
Why isnt the ocean floor older?
Why can’t oceanic crust reach large ages?
Most oceanic crust is less than 200 million years old because it is typically recycled back into the Earth’s mantle at subduction zones (where two tectonic plates collide).
Why is the oldest seafloor less than 180 million years when the oldest continental crust is about 4 billion years old?
Why is the oldest seafloor less than 180 million years old and the oldest continental crust about 4 billion? It is because of subduction oceanic crust tends to get colder and denser with age as it spreads from the mid-ocean ridges.
What are two factors affecting the temperature of the sea water?
The most common factors which are affecting the temperature of the seawater are the rising temperature and salinity.
What is the temperature of seawater at the sea level in the mid latitudes?
At midlatitudes the mid-ocean temperatures vary about 8 °C (14.4 °F) over the year. At the polar latitudes the surface temperature remains near the freezing point of seawater about −1.9 °C (28.6 °F).
Which of the following are the factors affecting on the distribution of ocean water?
The factors affecting distribution of ocean temperature are latitude prevailing winds ocean currents and local weather. The factors affecting distribution of ocean temperature are latitude prevailing winds ocean currents and local weather.
How does this difference affect the depth of the ocean?
Cold water has a higher density than warm water. Water gets colder with depth because cold salty ocean water sinks to the bottom of the ocean basins below the less dense warmer water near the surface.
What are the major parts of the ocean floor and how do they differ from each other?
How do continental margins in the Atlantic Ocean differ from those in the Pacific Ocean?
Continental margins in the Atlantic Ocean consists of thick layers of undisturbed sediment and there is little volcanic or earthquake activity. In Pacific Ocean margins oceanic crust is being pushed beneath continental crust leaving narrow margins with volcanic and earthquake activity. What are trenches?
Why are mid-ocean ridges elevated?
Why does ocean crust far from a mid-ocean ridge subside?
As the sheets of oceanic crust move away from the mid-ocean ridge the rock is cooled and thus becomes heavier. After about 200 million years the cooled lithospheric plate has become heavier than the asthenosphere that it rides over and it sinks thereby producing a subduction zone.
Why is the geothermal gradient steeper in the mid oceanic ridges?
High geothermal gradient: Temperature increases quickly with depth at mid-ocean ridges. This is due to rising hot magma beneath a thinner lithosphere. … This is due to the relatively cool sediments and fluids (i.e.: seawater) being subducted along with old cold ocean lithosphere that penetrates to great depths.
Seafloor Spreading
Ocean Floor Features
Ocean Floor Features