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The Atlantic Ocean is expanding due to mid-atlantic ridge.

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Why did pangaea break apart?

Pangaea broke apart due to the movement of tectonic plates in the Earth's crust. This movement, called plate tectonics, caused the continents to drift apart over millions of years, leading to the formation of the current continents and ocean basins.


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.


What is the difference of seafloor spreading and continental drift?

In continental drift it says that they were drifted apart by the spin of the earth and in seafloor spreading the earths crust is drifted apart by the ridges in the mid-ocean.


The theory that continents move apart from each other?

Continents are not tecnically moving 'away' from each other, they are just moving. This is due to the sub continent plates and the volcanic activity in the ocean. As new volcanic matter from the earths core comes to the surface it pushes continental plates apart.


What is the theory that the continents can drift apart from each other and have done so in the past?

The theory that states continents can drift apart from each other is called plate tectonics. It explains how the Earth's lithosphere is divided into large plates that move and interact with each other, leading to processes like continental drift and the formation of mountains, earthquakes, and volcanoes. This theory is supported by evidence such as the matching coastlines of continents, the distribution of fossils, and the presence of deep ocean trenches.

Related Questions

Why are the continents and the ocean floors moving?

Contienental drift, which is when under the surface magma spreads apart and streches the crust apart.


The primary source that causes the seafloor to spread and continents to drift?

In the middle of the ocean is a rift where the ocean floor squeezes out lava and pushes the ocean plates apart.


Why is the Alantic Ocean expanding?

because the continents are drifting further apart due to th oceantal crust separating under water


Why did pangaea break apart?

Pangaea broke apart due to the movement of tectonic plates in the Earth's crust. This movement, called plate tectonics, caused the continents to drift apart over millions of years, leading to the formation of the current continents and ocean basins.


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.


What is the difference of seafloor spreading and continental drift?

In continental drift it says that they were drifted apart by the spin of the earth and in seafloor spreading the earths crust is drifted apart by the ridges in the mid-ocean.


The theory that continents move apart from each other?

Continents are not tecnically moving 'away' from each other, they are just moving. This is due to the sub continent plates and the volcanic activity in the ocean. As new volcanic matter from the earths core comes to the surface it pushes continental plates apart.


What is the theory that the continents can drift apart from each other and have done so in the past?

The theory that states continents can drift apart from each other is called plate tectonics. It explains how the Earth's lithosphere is divided into large plates that move and interact with each other, leading to processes like continental drift and the formation of mountains, earthquakes, and volcanoes. This theory is supported by evidence such as the matching coastlines of continents, the distribution of fossils, and the presence of deep ocean trenches.


What discovery helped to prove that alfred wegner's theory of continental drift was possible?

The discovery of seafloor spreading and magnetic striping on the ocean floor in the 1960s provided compelling evidence for Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift. This process showed how new oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges and helps move the continents apart, supporting the idea that continents are not fixed but can drift over time.


How does sea floor spreading support the hypothesis of continental drift?

Sea floor spreading provides evidence for continental drift by showing that new oceanic crust is created at mid-ocean ridges, pushing the continents apart. As the crust spreads apart, it carries the continents along with it, supporting the idea that the continents were once part of a single landmass that has since drifted apart. This process also explains the distribution of ages of oceanic crust, with the youngest crust found at the mid-ocean ridges and getting progressively older as you move away from the ridges.


What is a continental shift?

A continental shift refers to the movement of continents on the Earth's surface due to plate tectonics. This movement is very slow, occurring over millions of years, and can result in changes to the configuration of the continents and the ocean basins. Examples of continental shifts include the breakup of Pangaea into the continents we see today.


Think critically The ideas of Hess Wegener and others emphasize that earth is a dynamic planet. How is seafloor spreading different from continental drift?

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.