Definition Of Sea Floor Spreading In Science

Seafloor spreading definition a process in which new ocean floor is created as molten material from the earth s mantle rises in margins between plates or ridges and spreads out.

Definition of sea floor spreading in science.

Information and translations of seafloor spreading in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. Sea floor spreading synonyms sea floor spreading pronunciation sea floor spreading translation english dictionary definition of sea floor spreading. This idea played a pivotal role in the development of the theory of plate tectonics which revolutionized geologic thought during the last quarter of the 20th century. Seafloor spreading theory that oceanic crust forms along submarine mountain zones and spreads out laterally away from them.

Seafloor spreading definition is the divergence at mid ocean ridges of the tectonic plates underlying the oceans that is due to upwelling from the earth s interior of magma which solidifies and adds to the spreading plates. What does seafloor spreading mean. Geological science a series of processes in which new oceanic lithosphere is created at oceanic ridges spreads away from the ridges and returns to the earth s. Convection currents within the mantle take the continents on a conveyor belt ride of oceanic crust that over millions of years takes them around the planet s surface.

Convection currents carry heat from the lower mantle and core to the lithosphere. Convection currents also recycle lithospheric materials back to the mantle. Seafloor spreading is the mechanism for wegener s drifting continents. 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.

Mantle convection is the slow churning motion of earth s mantle. Seafloor spreading definition a process in which new ocean floor is created as molten material from the earth s mantle rises in margins between plates or ridges and spreads out. Seafloor spreading and other tectonic activity processes are the result of mantle convection.