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The oldest in-situ oceanic lithosphere is found at lithospheric subduction zones, where oceanic crust is being drawn into the mantle. These would normally be the point furthest away from its point of origin at the mid-ocean ridge.
However the oldest remnant of oceanic crust found on earth dates from the early Archean when the lithosphere began to develop and are a product of obduction (where slivers of oceanic crust are thrust onto a continental crustal plate rather than below them). An example would be the Jamestown Ophiolite Complex of the Barberton greenstone belt in South Africa which formed approximately 3.5 billion years ago.
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∙ 2011-11-12 10:03:39
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What evidence did scientist find for sea floor spreading?
They found that the youngest rocks on the sea floor were at mid-ocean ridges and the oldest were further away from the ridges.
Where are the oldest layers of rock on the sea floor?
The oldest layers of sea floor would exist at the bottom of the Marianas Trench, where oceanic plate subduction is occurring. The subducting oceanic plate is less than 200 million years in age.
Where does the oldest rock take place at on the ocean floor in sea-floor spreading?
Far from the mid oceanic ridge, near the continental margin (oldest oceanic rock ages 200 mya)
How would the age of the oldest rocks on the continents compare with the age of the oldest rocks on the seafloor if the rock on the continents is continually formed but not removed?
The oldest rocks on the continents would be much older than the rocks on the sea floor because the rocks on the continents are not being removed unlike the rocks on the sea floor that are made by the mid-ocean ridge are being removed by deep ocean trenches. this prossess that is occuring on the sea floor is called sea floor spreading. evidence of this is the Pacific ocean shrinking and the Atlantic ocean growing.
Where is the oldest rock found on the ocean floor?
The oldest rocks on the ocean floor are those that are being subducted under less dense crust and into the mantle at convergent plate margins.
What evidence did scientist find for sea floor spreading?
They found that the youngest rocks on the sea floor were at mid-ocean ridges and the oldest were further away from the ridges.
How old are the oldest rocks found on the sea floor?
Around 200 million years of age.
How old is the oldest sea floor?
like 1,000,000,000,000
Is the age of the sea floor the same age of the continents?
No. The sea floor is much younger than the continents. The oldest sea floor is about 200 million years old. The continents are billions of years old.
What is the niche of sea cucumbers?
Sea cucumbers are found on the sea floor worldwide
How did harry hess find out that the sea floor was spreading?
He used a navy ship to sound the sea floor. He found out magma was coming out of the mantle and into the sea floor.
Where are the oldest layers of rock on the sea floor?
The oldest layers of sea floor would exist at the bottom of the Marianas Trench, where oceanic plate subduction is occurring. The subducting oceanic plate is less than 200 million years in age.
Where is the youngest sea floor found?
The youngest sea floor is found near ocean ridges where magma is coming up and then cooling to form new crust.
How old are the oldest rock of the Atlantic sea floor?
Around 200 million years in age.
Where are deep sea crabs found?
On the ocean floor
Where does the oldest rock take place at on the ocean floor in sea-floor spreading?
Far from the mid oceanic ridge, near the continental margin (oldest oceanic rock ages 200 mya)
Which theory explains why rocks found on the ocean floor are younger than found on continents?
Sea Floor Spreading
