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hat there was once a supercontinent and the huge landmass was broken into continents that drifted apart

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What 2 ideas were combined in the theory of plate tectonics?

The theory of plate tectonics combines the ideas of continental drift and seafloor spreading. Continental drift, proposed by Alfred Wegener, suggested that continents were once joined and have since moved apart. Seafloor spreading, introduced by Harry Hess, described how new oceanic crust forms at mid-ocean ridges and pushes older crust away. Together, these concepts explain the movement of Earth's lithospheric plates and the dynamic nature of the planet's surface.


How does seafloor spearing and continental drift link together?

Seafloor spreading and continental drift are linked through the theory of plate tectonics. Seafloor spreading occurs at mid-oceanic ridges, where new crust is formed and pushes apart the plates on either side. This process helps drive the movement of continents, as the newly formed crust pushes older crust away from the ridges and towards the continents, contributing to the overall process of continental drift.


What was Henry hess theory about continental drift?

Henry Hess proposed the theory of seafloor spreading, which suggests that new oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges and then moves away from the ridges, pushing older crust away. This process helps explain how continents can drift apart and shed light on the theory of plate tectonics.


How did the seafloor spreading help prove the continental drift?

Seafloor spreading provided evidence for continental drift by showing that new oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges, pushing older crust away. This process helped explain how continents could move and supported the idea of plate tectonics. The pattern of magnetic stripes on the seafloor also matched with predictions based on the movement of continents, further supporting the theory of continental drift.


What does the theory of continental drift explain?

The idea that the continents were once one super-continent and subsequently moved apart is the basis of the theory of continental drift. Continental drift was first proposed as a scientific hypothesis with evidences by Alfred Wegener early in the twentieth century. Unfortunately, the evidence he was able to cite, such as similarities in coastline geographies and fossils on either side of the Atlantic, did not provide an explanation for the mechanism which caused it to happen. In Wegener's theory, the continents were somehow able to plow through the oceans. It wasn't until the mid-twentieth century that the Atlantic Ridge system was discovered. Further investigation revealed that the magnetic orientation of rock on either side of the ridge matched the orientation on the other side of the ridge, providing the proof for the mechanism that caused the continents to move apart. Basaltic magma was infilling the area on either side of the ridge to create new continental crust. Subduction of older, denser oceanic crust takes place at collision zones where it meets less dense oceanic and continental crust. The whole process is driven by gravity and heat from the Earth's interior via convection currents in the mantle. The process is no longer called continental drift, but is referred to as plate tectonics.Alfred Wagner's theory was that the sea floor was spreading, causing the continents to 'drift'. The theory was originally tossed aside because the fact that the continents fitted together was not sufficient.

Related Questions

What is the contradiction between continental drift and see floor spreading?

The contradiction between continental drift and seafloor spreading is that continental drift theory proposes that continents move horizontally across the Earth's surface due to the movement of tectonic plates, while seafloor spreading theory suggests that new oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges and pushes older crust away from the ridge. These two theories were eventually integrated into the theory of plate tectonics.


How does seafloor spearing and continental drift link together?

Seafloor spreading and continental drift are linked through the theory of plate tectonics. Seafloor spreading occurs at mid-oceanic ridges, where new crust is formed and pushes apart the plates on either side. This process helps drive the movement of continents, as the newly formed crust pushes older crust away from the ridges and towards the continents, contributing to the overall process of continental drift.


What did the theory of plate tectonics replace?

The theory of plate tectonics replaced the older theory of continental drift. It provided a more comprehensive explanation for the movement of Earth's lithospheric plates and the processes that shape our planet's surface.


What was Henry hess theory about continental drift?

Henry Hess proposed the theory of seafloor spreading, which suggests that new oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges and then moves away from the ridges, pushing older crust away. This process helps explain how continents can drift apart and shed light on the theory of plate tectonics.


What supports the theory of continental drift?

The chain in The Mid-Atlantic ridge is part of the longest mountain chain in the world. Which new oceanic lithosphere is created as older materials are pulled away.


How did the seafloor spreading help prove the continental drift?

Seafloor spreading provided evidence for continental drift by showing that new oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges, pushing older crust away. This process helped explain how continents could move and supported the idea of plate tectonics. The pattern of magnetic stripes on the seafloor also matched with predictions based on the movement of continents, further supporting the theory of continental drift.


How are Harry Hess's and Alfred Wegener's hypothesises similar?

Both Harry Hess and Alfred Wegener proposed groundbreaking theories related to the movement of Earth's crust. Wegener's hypothesis of continental drift suggested that continents were once connected and have since moved to their current positions, while Hess's hypothesis of seafloor spreading explained how new oceanic crust forms at mid-ocean ridges and pushes older crust away. Both hypotheses contributed to the development of the theory of plate tectonics, which revolutionized our understanding of the Earth's dynamic processes.


Describe how seafloor spreading helps to explain the continental drift theory?

Seafloor spreading occurs at mid-ocean ridges, where new oceanic crust is created and spreads outward from the ridge. As the crust spreads, it forces older crust away from the ridge, creating a conveyor belt-like movement of the ocean floor. This process provides evidence for the movement of continents over time, supporting the theory of continental drift proposed by Alfred Wegener.


What does the theory of continental drift explain?

The idea that the continents were once one super-continent and subsequently moved apart is the basis of the theory of continental drift. Continental drift was first proposed as a scientific hypothesis with evidences by Alfred Wegener early in the twentieth century. Unfortunately, the evidence he was able to cite, such as similarities in coastline geographies and fossils on either side of the Atlantic, did not provide an explanation for the mechanism which caused it to happen. In Wegener's theory, the continents were somehow able to plow through the oceans. It wasn't until the mid-twentieth century that the Atlantic Ridge system was discovered. Further investigation revealed that the magnetic orientation of rock on either side of the ridge matched the orientation on the other side of the ridge, providing the proof for the mechanism that caused the continents to move apart. Basaltic magma was infilling the area on either side of the ridge to create new continental crust. Subduction of older, denser oceanic crust takes place at collision zones where it meets less dense oceanic and continental crust. The whole process is driven by gravity and heat from the Earth's interior via convection currents in the mantle. The process is no longer called continental drift, but is referred to as plate tectonics.Alfred Wagner's theory was that the sea floor was spreading, causing the continents to 'drift'. The theory was originally tossed aside because the fact that the continents fitted together was not sufficient.


What theory supports the continental drift theory?

The idea that the continents were once one super-continent and subsequently moved apart is the basis of the theory of continental drift. Continental drift was first proposed as a scientific hypothesis with evidences by Alfred Wegener early in the twentieth century. Unfortunately, the evidence he was able to cite, such as similarities in coastline geographies and fossils on either side of the Atlantic, did not provide an explanation for the mechanism which caused it to happen. In Wegener's theory, the continents were somehow able to plow through the oceans. It wasn't until the mid-twentieth century that the Atlantic Ridge system was discovered. Further investigation revealed that the magnetic orientation of rock on either side of the ridge matched the orientation on the other side of the ridge, providing the proof for the mechanism that caused the continents to move apart. Basaltic magma was infilling the area on either side of the ridge to create new continental crust. Subduction of older, denser oceanic crust takes place at collision zones where it meets less dense oceanic and continental crust. The whole process is driven by gravity and heat from the Earth's interior via convection currents in the mantle. The process is no longer called continental drift, but is referred to as plate tectonics.Alfred Wagner's theory was that the sea floor was spreading, causing the continents to 'drift'. The theory was originally tossed aside because the fact that the continents fitted together was not sufficient.


Who were the two scientists who proposed the theory of seafloor spreading in the early 1960?

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.


Is the theory of continental drift?

The idea that the continents were once one super-continent and subsequently moved apart is the basis of the theory of continental drift. Continental drift was first proposed as a scientific hypothesis with evidences by Alfred Wegener early in the twentieth century. Unfortunately, the evidence he was able to cite, such as similarities in coastline geographies and fossils on either side of the Atlantic, did not provide an explanation for the mechanism which caused it to happen. In Wegener's theory, the continents were somehow able to plow through the oceans. It wasn't until the mid-twentieth century that the Atlantic Ridge system was discovered. Further investigation revealed that the magnetic orientation of rock on either side of the ridge matched the orientation on the other side of the ridge, providing the proof for the mechanism that caused the continents to move apart. Basaltic magma was infilling the area on either side of the ridge to create new continental crust. Subduction of older, denser oceanic crust takes place at collision zones where it meets less dense oceanic and continental crust. The whole process is driven by gravity and heat from the Earth's interior via convection currents in the mantle. The process is no longer called continental drift, but is referred to as plate tectonics.Alfred Wagner's theory was that the sea floor was spreading, causing the continents to 'drift'. The theory was originally tossed aside because the fact that the continents fitted together was not sufficient.