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Sea floor spreading is the process that creates new oceanic crust at mid-ocean ridges, which are underwater mountain ranges. As the new crust forms, it moves away from the ridge, pushing the existing ocean floor aside. This movement is what allows continents to drift apart from each other, as the forces generated by sea floor spreading contribute to the overall movement of tectonic plates.

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1y ago

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Did Alfred Wegener make sea floor spreading?

He is credited with coming up with the theory of continental drift.


What is another name for the Continental Drift theory?

Another name for the Continental Drift theory is "Plate Tectonics." This theory explains the movement of Earth's lithosphere plates over the asthenosphere.


What discovery led scientists to accept Wegeners continental drift hypothesis?

One day while scientists were exploring the sea floor, they discovered sea-floor spreading, thus proving Wegener's hypothesis to be correct.


What do scientist think now might be possible cause of continental drift?

They think a possible cause of continental drift is because of seafloor spreading and the water currents below the continents. +++ You are sort of on the right track, but not near enough to have helped the 9 people Answers had already counted! Sea-floor spreading is part of continental drift, and the currents are not in water, but in the viscous rock Mantle.


Why was sea floor spreading not known during wegeners lifetime?

Sea floor spreading was not known during Wegener's lifetime because the technology to map the ocean floor, such as sonar mapping, did not exist yet. Without this technology, scientists were unable to detect the mid-ocean ridges where sea floor spreading takes place. Additionally, Wegener's theory of continental drift was met with skepticism and not widely accepted during his time, which may have deterred further exploration into related concepts like sea floor spreading.

Related Questions

What is the key to understanding continental drift?

sea floor spreading


What do scientist think caused Continental drift?

Sea-floor spreading


What theory combined sea floor spreading and continental drift?

Plate Tectonics


What does sea-floor spreading have to do with the continental drift theory?

If you move the continents appart (or togther), then you need to create (or destroy) seal floor to do this.Thus there must be structures on the sea floor that relate to the process of continental drift/movement (and there are).


Differentiate the continental drift plate tectonics sun floor spreading?

DAVID NHIEU IS HOT.


The ways that fossils helped support the hypothesis of continental drift?

Because of sea floor spreading


Who had the sea floor spreading theory?

Harry Hess came up with the theory of seafloor spreading . Alfred Wegener came up with the idea of continental drift NOT sea-floor spreading.


Who had the theory of sea floor spreading?

Harry Hess came up with the theory of seafloor spreading . Alfred Wegener came up with the idea of continental drift NOT sea-floor spreading.


Is it true that plate tectonics combines the concepts of sea-floor spreading and continental drift?

yes its true


Did Alfred Wegener make sea floor spreading?

He is credited with coming up with the theory of continental drift.


Wegeners hypothesis of continental drift was finally confirmed by?

evidence supporting the idea of sea-floor spreading.


Summarize the ways that fossils helped support the hypothesis of the continental drift?

Because of sea floor spreading