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Harry Hess significantly contributed to the plate tectonic theory through his research on ocean floor dynamics and the concept of seafloor spreading. In the early 1960s, he proposed that molten material from the Earth's mantle rises at mid-ocean ridges, creating new oceanic crust while older crust is pushed away. His ideas helped provide a mechanism for continental drift and supported the understanding that Earth's lithosphere is divided into tectonic plates that move over the asthenosphere. Hess's work laid crucial groundwork for the modern theory of plate tectonics.

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AnswerBot

3w ago

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