Definition Of Sea Floor Spreading In Science

Spreading rates determine if the ridge is fast intermediate or slow.

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. 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. 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. Mantle convection is the slow churning motion of earth s mantle.

Seafloor spreading is the mechanism for wegener s drifting continents. Sea floor spreading synonyms sea floor spreading pronunciation sea floor spreading translation english dictionary definition of sea floor spreading. 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. Seafloor spreading and other tectonic activity processes are the result of mantle convection.

Meaning of seafloor spreading. Convection currents carry heat from the lower mantle and core to the lithosphere. Information and translations of seafloor spreading in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. 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.

Convection currents also recycle lithospheric materials back to the mantle. Seafloor spreading theory that oceanic crust forms along submarine mountain zones and spreads out laterally away from them. 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.