Hess believed that new oceanic crust was created at mid-ocean ridges where molten material, known as magma, rises from the mantle and solidifies as it cools. This process, called seafloor spreading, helps explain how new crust is formed and how the Earth's tectonic plates move.
Harry hess' hypothesis was hot/less dense material rises up the Earth's crust toward the mid-ocean ridges. When the seafloor breaks apart, magma is forced upward and through the cracks. It cools, and becomes a new seafloor. When it moves away from the mid-ocean ridge, it becomes denser and sinks. This helps form ridges.
New seafloor is created at mid-ocean ridges, where tectonic plates are moving apart. As the plates separate, magma from the mantle rises to the surface, solidifies, and forms new crust. This process is known as seafloor spreading.
Seafloor spreading refers to the process where new oceanic crust is created at mid-ocean ridges and spreads outward, pushing the continents apart. Continental drift, on the other hand, is the idea that the continents are slowly moving across the Earth's surface. Seafloor spreading is a mechanism that helps explain how continents drift apart as part of the larger theory of plate tectonics.
While two people proposed continental drift (Alfred Wegener and Alexander du Toit), it was just ONE scientist Harry Hess that proposed the mechanism of sea floor spreading to explain how the continents actually moved.
Seafloor spreading is a geological process where tectonic plates move away from each other, allowing magma from the mantle to rise and solidify, creating new oceanic crust. This process occurs at mid-ocean ridges and is a key component of plate tectonics theory.
Seafloor Spreading created by harry hess
Seafloor Spreading created by harry hess
The theory of seafloor spreading was proposed by Harry Hess, a geologist and Navy officer, in the early 1960s. He proposed that new oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges and then spreads outward. This theory helped to explain the mechanism behind continental drift and plate tectonics.
It explained seafloor movement because he researched that hot/less dense material rises to Earths crust, at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. At the hole the magma cools making new seafloor. He also found out that there were new rocks near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and old ones farther away. Hess also theorized that this seafloor has to filter somewhere- this somewhere is called the subduction zone. The subduction zone is an area where old seafloor sinks and the plates melt it forms into magma, building pressure within the Earth. When there is too much pressure the Earth lets out this energy in Arcs, Volcanic islands, etc.
Seafloor Spreading
The new evidence provided observations of magnetic anomalies on the seafloor that were consistent with the pattern predicted by Hess's theory of seafloor spreading. These anomalies demonstrated symmetrical stripes of magnetic polarity on either side of mid-ocean ridges, supporting the idea that new oceanic crust was forming at these ridges and moving away in opposite directions.
Harry hess' hypothesis was hot/less dense material rises up the Earth's crust toward the mid-ocean ridges. When the seafloor breaks apart, magma is forced upward and through the cracks. It cools, and becomes a new seafloor. When it moves away from the mid-ocean ridge, it becomes denser and sinks. This helps form ridges.
in a subduction trench, because of Harry Hess' theory of sea floor spreading. Meaning that the rock is formed new at the mid-ocean ridge, and moved out towards the coasts into a subduction zone years and years later.
in mid ocean ridges
Harry hess' hypothesis was hot/less dense material rises up the Earth's crust toward the mid-ocean ridges. When the seafloor breaks apart, magma is forced upward and through the cracks. It cools, and becomes a new seafloor. When it moves away from the mid-ocean ridge, it becomes denser and sinks. This helps form ridges.
Umm Maybe by the way sea floor spreads apart along both sieds of a mid ocean ridge as new crust is added
The process that forms new seafloor is called seafloor spreading. It occurs at mid-ocean ridges where new oceanic crust is created through volcanic activity. As magma rises and solidifies, it adds to the seafloor, pushing older crust away from the ridge and creating a continuous process of crust formation.