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What did scientists do in order to assign ages to sea floor rocks?
Wiki User
∙ 8y ago
These Samples are reviewed for consistency and deposits: the "age" of samples are determined as closely as practical , by the Carbon Dating of the tiny shells normally found inside most sediment samples.
While it is True that the Average Research will only Sample and "date" to a particular point in Earth's History due to the Fact that Sample Core Tools and the Power systems to drive those into the seafloor is limited in it's size and strength.
Should we obtain a mile long tube with the power to drive it into the seafloor: We will find great a wealth of Data: and eventually, as it is believed , come to a point where our Dating system has found it's limit or a complete lack of fossils to date with.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoWhen scientists were able to widely sample sea floor rocks, they were surprised to find that the oldest were only about 160 million years old. Soon after, the mid-ocean ridges were discovered, where new crustal rocks are being continuously created. And Plate Tectonics followed.
As to how is the rock dated, there are a number of radioactive transforms that are used. The Potassium - Argon decay is probably the simplest one. 40K has a half life of about 1.95 x 109 years before it decays into 40Argon (11%), and 40Calcium (89%).
Micas in the rock will have crystallized last, and these are commonly the mineral chosen to give the date.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoThe layer that is on top that rock is the newest , the one underneath is the oldest rock.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoBy existing catalogs developed over many years of what types of fossils are most commonly expected in sediment layers of what epochs.
Wiki User
∙ 8y agoby the age of rock samples
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How do scientists remove fossil from rocks?
by diging it out
Studying the magnetic patterns of the rocks in the floor of the ocean helps scientists do what?
It helps them determine the frequency of shifts in the magnetic orientation of the Earth, and initially led to the confirmation of seafloor spreading at the mid-ocean ridges.
How old are rocks in ocean crust?
The age of rocks in the ocean crust depends on where the rocks are collected. Scientists collected rock samples from the sea floor. They found out that rock samples that were closer to mid-ocean ridges were younger than the samples farther away from the ridges. So pretty much you could get rocks that are thousands of years old to over millions of year old.
Scientist who study the physical properties of rocks to tell how the rocks may have formed are called?
Scientists who study rocks are called petrologists.
Where does the new rocks form on the sea floor?
Forms by lava from volcanoes on the sea floor
Identify how magnetic symmetry can be used as evidence of sea-floor spreading?
On each side of the mid-ocean ridge is a mirror of the striped pattern on the other side. When drawn, these patterns show alternating bands of normal and reverse polarity that match the geomagnetic reversal time scale, scientists can assign ages to the sea-floor rocks. The youngest rocks were at the center, and the older rocks father away. The ages of the sea floor rocks are symmetrical. The only place on the ocean-floor where new rocks are formed are at the rift in mid-ocean ridge. hope this helps :)
How magnetic symmetry can be used as evidence of sea floor spreadding?
On each side of the mid-ocean ridge is a mirror of the striped pattern on the other side. When drawn, these patterns show alternating bands of normal and reverse polarity that match the geomagnetic reversal time scale, scientists can assign ages to the sea-floor rocks. The youngest rocks were at the center, and the older rocks father away. The ages of the sea floor rocks are symmetrical. The only place on the ocean-floor where new rocks are formed are at the rift in mid-ocean ridge. hope this helps :)
Why do scientists study rocks in order to study the inside of the earth?
Types of rocks are inside the Earth, so scientists study them.
How magnetic symmetry can be used as evidence of sea-flooring spreading?
On each side of the mid-ocean ridge is a mirror of the striped pattern on the other side. When drawn, these patterns show alternating bands of normal and reverse polarity that match the geomagnetic reversal time scale, scientists can assign ages to the sea-floor rocks. The youngest rocks were at the center, and the older rocks father away. The ages of the sea floor rocks are symmetrical. The only place on the ocean-floor where new rocks are formed are at the rift in mid-ocean ridge. hope this helps :)
How do scientist date seafloor rocks?
Scientists date sea-floor rocks by looking at patterns in the rocks, including magnetic patterns, and by looking at the geomagnetic reversal time scale.
Scientists who study the physical properties of rocks to tell how the rocks may have formed are called?
Scientists who study rocks are called petrologists.
Where can you find the youngest rocks on the ocean floor?
you can find the youngest rocks on the top of the ocean floor.
What did scientists conclude from moon rocks that had been broken apart and then reformed?
Scientists concluded that meteroroids had bombared the moons surface.
What are the characteristics Scientists use to classify rocks?
they classify the rocks by their texture and compisition
Why do scientists look at the ocean floor to research the mantle?
We look at the ocean floor to study the mantle because the ocean floor is made from rocks that were once part of the mantle but have be changed. These changes can be undone to a certain degree, and can allow us to study at the very least the major changes of the shallow mantle.
Why do you think that old rocks are rare one ocean floor?
There are no rocks on the ocean floor because they turn to sand. The moving of the water gradually wears away at the rocks.
Why are sea floor rocks so young?
Rocks on the sea floor are very young because most have resulted from recent volcanic activity. Volcanic activity is constantly erupting on the ocean's floor and creating new rocks.
