answersLogoWhite

0

reversed itself in the past


The alternating magnetic orientation is caused by polar shifts or reversal, (not end of the world kinda stuff). When the rock is new and molten the grains are free to align themselves with the prevailing magnetic field, as the rock cools, the grains are frozen in time. As the sea floor expands outward (in the Atlantic), it is regularly striped with rock oriented in different directions. This indicates that the magnetic poles have reversed many times throughout the Earth's history.

User Avatar

Wiki User

15y ago

What else can I help you with?

Continue Learning about Natural Sciences

Do magnetic stripes on the ocean floor oceanic crust sink back into the mantle?

No, the magnetic stripes on the ocean floor form due to the alignment of magnetic minerals in the crust as it solidifies from the mantle. The oceanic crust is eventually consumed in subduction zones and recycled back into the mantle, but the magnetic stripes themselves do not sink back into the mantle.


Why do magnetic stripes appeal on the seafloor?

Magnetic stripes on the seafloor appeal to scientists because they provide crucial evidence for the theory of seafloor spreading and plate tectonics. As magma rises and solidifies at mid-ocean ridges, it records the Earth's magnetic field, which has reversed polarity over geological time. These alternating magnetic stripes serve as a geological record, helping to date the age of the oceanic crust and understand the movement of tectonic plates. This pattern of magnetism is key to studying Earth's geological history and the dynamics of its crust.


What does magnetic striping tell us about the age of rocks?

If you know how many stripes away from the mid-ocean ridge the rock is and you know how frequently the earth's poles flip you can use the stripes like rings on a tree to measure the age of that rock.


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 strips on the seafloor are caused in part by?

Magnetic strips on the seafloor are caused in part by seafloor spreading, where new oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges. As the crust cools and solidifies, it locks in the polarity of the Earth's magnetic field at the time, creating a recorded history of magnetic reversals. This process creates alternating stripes of normal and reversed polarity as the seafloor expands.

Related Questions

What Magnetic stripes on the seafloor are caused in parts by?

movement of ocean crust.


What Magnetic stripes on the seafloor are caused on part by?

movement of ocean crust.


Do magnetic stripes on the ocean floor oceanic crust sink back into the mantle?

No, the magnetic stripes on the ocean floor form due to the alignment of magnetic minerals in the crust as it solidifies from the mantle. The oceanic crust is eventually consumed in subduction zones and recycled back into the mantle, but the magnetic stripes themselves do not sink back into the mantle.


How do magnetic stripes show the history of earths magnitic field?

Magnetic stripes on the ocean floor are formed as magma from the mantle rises at mid-ocean ridges and solidifies into rock. The Earth's magnetic field periodically reverses its polarity, causing magnetic minerals in the cooling rock to align with the prevailing magnetic field. These alternating magnetic orientations create stripes of normal and reversed polarity that are preserved in the oceanic crust as it spreads away from the ridges. By studying these magnetic stripes, scientists can reconstruct the history of the Earth's magnetic field reversals and the seafloor spreading process.


True or false magnetic stripes on the ocean floor are places where oceanic crust sinks back to the mantle?

True. Magnetic stripes on the ocean floor are created by alternating bands of magnetic polarities in the oceanic crust. These stripes are evidence of seafloor spreading where new crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges, pushing older crust away. Subduction zones are where older crust sinks back into the mantle.


What is the significance of the patterns of offsets along the mid-ocean ridge?

the matching patterns on either side of the mid-ocean ridge could be explained by new ocean crust forming at the ridge and spreading away from it as ocean crust forms it obtains the polarity of the earth's magnetic field at that time over time the strength of the earths magnetic field changes when new ocean crust forms at the center of the spreading it obtains a new kind of magnetic polarity over time a series of magnetic ''stripes'' are formed


What do bands of rock on the seafloor showing alternating magnetic orientation indicate about the earths magnetic field?

Bands of rock on the seafloor showing alternating magnetic orientation indicate times when the Earth's magnetic field has reversed. These bands are created as new oceanic crust forms at mid-ocean ridges and records the direction of the Earth's magnetic field at the time of its formation. Studying these bands provides insight into the history of Earth's magnetic field reversals.


How do magnetic stripes show Earth's history of magnetic fields?

As you move away from an ocean ridge, the rocks get older.


What causes Magnetic stripes on the seafloor are caused by?

These "stripes" formed the pattern known as magnetic striping. ... They hypothesized that the magnetic striping was produced from the generation of magma at mid-ocean ridges during alternating periods of normal and reversed magnetism by the magnetic reversals of the Earth's magnetic field.


Is magnetic stripes on the ocean floor the places where oceanic crust sinks back to the mantle?

it is right in your book soo... you should be able to answer this


What do magnetic anomalies indicate about the Earth?

Magnetic anomalies indicate variations in the Earth's magnetic field strength or direction. These anomalies can provide information about the geological structure of the Earth's crust and are used in studies of plate tectonics and geophysical exploration.


What does magnetic striping tell us about the age of rocks?

If you know how many stripes away from the mid-ocean ridge the rock is and you know how frequently the earth's poles flip you can use the stripes like rings on a tree to measure the age of that rock.