Introduction To Sea Floor Spreading

If you are discussing continent movements this lesson plan explores seafloor spreading.

Introduction to sea floor spreading.

The creation of new sea floor at mid ocean spreading centers and its destruction in subduction zones is one of the many cycles that causes the earth to experience constant change. The rate at which new oceanic lithosphere is added to each tectonic plate on either side of a mid ocean ridge is the spreading half rate and is equal to half of the spreading rate. 20 teachers like this lesson. Seafloor spreading occurs along mid ocean ridges large mountain ranges rising from the ocean floor.

Spreading rate is the rate at which an ocean basin widens due to seafloor spreading. Sea floor spreading day 2 2 lesson 16. Exit ticket closing. Convection plate movement.

Sea floor spreading day 2 2 add to favorites. Spreading rates determine if the ridge is fast intermediate or slow. Sea floor spreading day 1 2 lesson 15. Samples collected from the ocean floor show that the age of oceanic crust increases with distance from the spreading centre important evidence in favour of this process.

The mid atlantic ridge for instance separates the north american plate from the eurasian plate and the south american plate from the african plate the east pacific rise is a mid ocean ridge that runs through the eastern pacific ocean and separates the pacific plate from the north american. Continental drift controversy. Seafloor spreading theory that oceanic crust forms along submarine mountain zones and spreads out laterally away from them. Introduction seafloor spreading theory of lithospheric evolution that holds that the ocean floors are spreading outward from vast underwater ridges.

As upwelling of magma continues the plates continue to diverge a process known as seafloor spreading. Introduction of seafloor spreading hardcover by frankel henry r isbn 0521875064 isbn 13 9780521875066 brand new free shipping resolution of the sixty year debate over continental drift culminating in the triumph of plate tectonics changed the very fabric of earth science. Hess its major tenets gave great support to the theory of continental drift and provided a conceptual base for the development. The purpose of this activity is to make a simple model that shows the evolution of oceanic crust through sea floor spreading and subduction.

First proposed in the early 1960s by the american geologist harry h. Students will watch a video participate in discussion questions complete an activity and take a quiz. Do now introduction.