The mid-ocean ridges are the buoyant, hot solidified magma that has formed from the decompressed, melting rock of the upper mantle where the oceanic plates are separating.
The ages of the rocks become older the farther the way they are from the ridges. The closer they are the younger it is. This leaves evidence to the seafloor spreading theory.
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.
The age of rocks gets progressively younger as you move away from the mid-ocean ridges, where seafloor spreading occurs. This supports the theory of seafloor spreading, as new crust is being formed at the ridges and then moves away from them over time. This process leaves a record of older rocks further from the ridges and younger rocks closer to them.
Before the discovery of seafloor spreading, mid-ocean ridges were thought to be static features. However, with evidence for seafloor spreading, it was realized that new oceanic crust is forming at mid-ocean ridges, pushing older crust away and causing the seafloor to spread apart. This discovery fundamentally changed our understanding of plate tectonics and the geologic processes happening at mid-ocean ridges.
Earthquake patterns were used to provide evidence of seafloor spreading through the discovery of mid-ocean ridges. Scientists observed that earthquakes were concentrated along these ridges, indicating the presence of tectonic activity associated with the movement of tectonic plates. This supported the theory of seafloor spreading, where new oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges and pushes older crust away from the ridge.
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.
The ages of the rocks become older the farther the way they are from the ridges. The closer they are the younger it is. This leaves evidence to the seafloor spreading theory.
The ages of the rocks become older the farther the way they are from the ridges. The closer they are the younger it is. This leaves evidence to the seafloor spreading theory.
Mid-oceanic ridges
Ocean-floor rocks near mid-ocean ridges show a symmetrical pattern of magnetized stripes parallel to the ridge axis. These stripes result from periodic reversals in Earth's magnetic field and provide evidence of seafloor spreading. Sediments on the ocean floor also show younger ages near the ridges, supporting the idea of seafloor spreading.
It is the mid-ocean ridges.
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.