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It creates a mid ocean ridge, the two plates pulling apart is called a divergent boundary.

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Q: What is called when sea-floor spreading occurs and pull away from each other under the sea?
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How did the discovery about seafloor spreading modify the theory of Continental drift?

Seafloor spreading explained WHY and how Continental Drift occurs. How can lands be 'moving' without a catastrophic or even noticeable change--- seafloor spreading accounts for these small changes. It identifies where the actual changes take place (even if we cannot identify the exact spots where spreading occurs). We can better estimate how much the "spreading" equates to observable/measurable changes of continents, specifically how fast (slowly) continents are moving closer or further apart. Seafloor spreading explains other phenomena, too, like the expulsion of methane gas pockets at the ocean floor which are suspected to interfere with flotation of ships and possibly the downing of airplanes that pass over where methane is released when methane gas disrupts the air above the water. Seafloor spreading also gives clues as to how mountains and valleys form underwater and on land.


What is the process in which new sea floor forms as other older sea floor is pulled apart?

Seafloor Spreading created by harry hess


What other evidence was needed to determine the rate of seafloor spreading?

The age of each strip of rock(K12 Science 6th Grade :p )


What type of plate movement causes mid ocean ridges and sea floor spreading?

Mid-ocean ridges and seafloor spreading are characteristics of oceanic diverging plates, plates that are moving away from each other.


New ocean floor is constantly being produced in the process known as?

There are three processes that add material to the ocean floor: Sedimentation, and Vulcanism. Sedimentation is usually caused by skeletons of sea animals falling to the ocean floor. It can be argued that this is not new material but only recycled materials. But some of the remains are calcium or other deposits that are added from land based run off. Silt deposits also run into the ocean floor from the land, Vulcanism results from shifts in the ocean mantle with new material coming from deeper in the earth and spouting through volcanoes or emerging as new ocean floor at the rising edges of the tectonic plates.

Related questions

How do you explain the process of the seafloor spreading?

The seafloor spreading definition is the geologic process that occurs at the boundary between 2 plates where molten material within the earth pushes its way up, causing the plates to move away from each other. At these divergent boundaries molten material cools and hardens, creating new oceanic crust or seafloor


How did the discovery about seafloor spreading modify the theory of Continental drift?

Seafloor spreading explained WHY and how Continental Drift occurs. How can lands be 'moving' without a catastrophic or even noticeable change--- seafloor spreading accounts for these small changes. It identifies where the actual changes take place (even if we cannot identify the exact spots where spreading occurs). We can better estimate how much the "spreading" equates to observable/measurable changes of continents, specifically how fast (slowly) continents are moving closer or further apart. Seafloor spreading explains other phenomena, too, like the expulsion of methane gas pockets at the ocean floor which are suspected to interfere with flotation of ships and possibly the downing of airplanes that pass over where methane is released when methane gas disrupts the air above the water. Seafloor spreading also gives clues as to how mountains and valleys form underwater and on land.


How magnetic reversal provides evidence for seafloor spreading?

The Earth's crust is broken into many slowly moving plates. Sea floor spreading occurs at the mid ocean ridge where two plates are moving away from each other. Magma rises up from below and cools to form new seafloor rock


How does seafloor spreading explain continental drift?

Seafloor spreading is caused by two plates moving apart. This is caused by plate tectonics. Continental drift is also caused by plate tectonics. Therefore, we can conclude that continental drift is related to seafloor spreading. When the plates move, it carries the continents with it, and thus the continents drift away from each other.


How does seafloor spreading affect us?

seafloor spreading affects us with help from continental drift. seafloor spreading creates new seafloors, but moves the continents a few centimeters apart from each other every year. in many years, pangaea will become aeagnap, because the continents will become one big land again, but backwards, and will damage the faults and the only land we have severely.


What are the different movements of crust?

seafloor spreading occurs when oceans widen and continents separate.convergent plate movements occurs when two plates collide toward each other.divergent plate movement is the moving away of plates from each other.transform plate movement occurs when two plates are sliding horizontally with each other.:)


What are the different movements of the earth's crust?

seafloor spreading occurs when oceans widen and continents separate.convergent plate movements occurs when two plates collide toward each other.divergent plate movement is the moving away of plates from each other.transform plate movement occurs when two plates are sliding horizontally with each other.:)


Why seafloor spreading is like a moving conveyor belt?

because the two plates are pushing away from each other like a conveyor belt


What is the process in which new sea floor forms as other older sea floor is pulled apart?

Seafloor Spreading created by harry hess


What other evidence was needed to determine the rate of seafloor spreading?

The age of each strip of rock(K12 Science 6th Grade :p )


What type of plate movement causes mid ocean ridges and sea floor spreading?

Mid-ocean ridges and seafloor spreading are characteristics of oceanic diverging plates, plates that are moving away from each other.


How do you calculate the rate of seafloor spreading?

rate of spreading for stripe = width of stripe / time duration If a magnetic strips is 60 km wide and formed over 2 million years, then the rate at which spreading formed the was 30 km/m.y. The rate is equivalent to 3 cm/year. Spreading added an equal width of oceanic crust to a plate on the other side of the mid-ocean ridge, so the total rate of spreading across the ridge was 60 km/m.y. (6 cm/year), a typical rate of seafloor spreading.