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Magnetic alignment of rocks, in alternating strips that run parallel to ridges, indicates reversals in Earth's magnetic field and provides further evidence of seafloor spreading.

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What do magnetic anomalies provide evidence of?

seafloor spreading


What did the magnetic strips prove in seafloor spreading?

They proved that the seafloor was spreading.


What is it called when the magnetic reversals are recorded in the rocks of the seafloor?

The phenomenon of magnetic reversals recorded in the rocks of the seafloor is known as "magnetic striping" or "seafloor spreading." As magma rises and solidifies at mid-ocean ridges, it captures the Earth's magnetic field direction at that time. This creates symmetrical patterns of magnetic orientation on either side of the ridge, providing evidence for plate tectonics and the history of the Earth's magnetic field.


How does magnetic stripes prove seafloor spreading?

Magnetic stripes on the seafloor provide evidence for seafloor spreading because they show alternating bands of normal and reversed polarity along mid-ocean ridges. These stripes form as new oceanic crust is created at mid-ocean ridges, with the Earth's magnetic field aligning minerals in the crust in the direction of the prevailing polarity at the time of its formation. By collecting and analyzing samples from the ocean floor, scientists can observe these magnetic patterns and confirm the process of seafloor spreading over geologic time scales.


How do magnetic patterns in the rocks along the mid-ocean ridges explain seafloor spreading?

Magnetic patterns in the rocks along mid-ocean ridges reveal a symmetrical arrangement of magnetic stripes that record Earth's magnetic field reversals over time. As magma rises and solidifies at the ridge, it captures the Earth's magnetic orientation at that moment. This process occurs continuously, causing new crust to form and pushing older crust away from the ridge, which is the fundamental principle of seafloor spreading. The mirror-image patterns on either side of the ridge provide strong evidence for this ongoing geological process.

Related Questions

First related the symmetrical magnetic patterns in seafloor basalts to seafloor spreading at a mid-ocean ridge?

Lawrence W. Morley, Frederick John Vine, and Drummond Hoyle Matthews were the first to tie magnetic stripe anomalies to seafloor spreading. The magnetic anomalies was the first evidence that supported the theory of seafloor spreading.


What do magnetic anomalies provide evidence of?

seafloor spreading


Is there evidence that seafloor-spreading?

Yes, there is evidence supporting seafloor spreading, including magnetic striping patterns on the ocean floor, the age progression of seafloor away from mid-ocean ridges, and the presence of hydrothermal vents along mid-ocean ridges that release magma from the Earth's mantle.


How does seafoor age and magnetic clues support seafloor spreading?

Seafloor is youngest near the mid-ocean ridges and gets progressively older as you move away from the ridge. Magnetic stripes on the seafloor provide evidence of seafloor spreading, as they show alternating patterns of normal and reversed magnetic polarity that match the Earth's magnetic reversals over time. This supports the theory of seafloor spreading as new oceanic crust is created at the mid-ocean ridge and spreads outward.


Magnetic striping is evidence of?

pole reversals seafloor spreading


How does magnetic reversals provide evidence for seafloor spreading?

Because of the stripes at the sea floor which are magnetic minerals


Who first related the symmetrical magnetic patterns in seafloor basalt to seafloor spreading at a mid ocean ridge?

Vine and Matthews


What is the primary evidence that forms the basis of seafloor spreading?

The primary evidence for seafloor spreading comes from magnetic striping patterns on the ocean floor. These patterns show alternating bands of normal and reversed polarity, indicating that new oceanic crust is being continuously formed at mid-ocean ridges and spreading away from the ridge axis.


What did the magnetic strips prove in seafloor spreading?

They proved that the seafloor was spreading.


How is magnetism used to support the theory about seafloor spreading?

Magnetism is used to support the theory of seafloor spreading through the study of magnetic stripes on the seafloor. These stripes are aligned with the Earth's magnetic field and provide evidence for the process of seafloor spreading, where new oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges. As the crust cools and solidifies, the magnetic minerals in the rocks align with the Earth's magnetic field, creating a record of magnetic reversals over time that support the theory of seafloor spreading.


How does magnetic stripes prove seafloor spreading?

Magnetic stripes on the seafloor provide evidence for seafloor spreading because they show alternating bands of normal and reversed polarity along mid-ocean ridges. These stripes form as new oceanic crust is created at mid-ocean ridges, with the Earth's magnetic field aligning minerals in the crust in the direction of the prevailing polarity at the time of its formation. By collecting and analyzing samples from the ocean floor, scientists can observe these magnetic patterns and confirm the process of seafloor spreading over geologic time scales.


Magnetic stripes on the seafloor are caused in part by?

symmetrical spreading of the ocean floor at mid-ocean ridges, where molten material rises to create new seafloor. As this material cools and solidifies, it records the Earth's magnetic field at the time, creating magnetic stripes on the seafloor. This phenomenon provides evidence for seafloor spreading and plate tectonics.