Seafloor Spreading

In the 1960s Harry Hess proposed the idea of seafloor

spreading, which said that when the sea floor moves
apart at divergent boundaries, magma rises and new
ocean floor/crust is created. This forms mid-ocean ridges.
In other areas (i.e. the other side of the plate) crust is
destroyed/recycled at a subduction zone.
How do we know that this is happening?
Lava contains magnetic minerals (like magnetite) which
act like compasses. As lava cools, the minerals become
magnetized
in field
the direction
Earths magnetic
is a result of Earths magnetic field.
of. Liquid outer core!
Normal polarity: Magnetic minerals
point North
Reverse polarity: Magnetic minerals
point South

Rocks on
either side
of a midocean ridge
MATCH in
both age
and polarity!

Youngest rocks on the

seafloor are represented
RED. Where are they?
Oldest rocks on the
seafloor are represented
BLUE. Where are they?

Two plates
DIVERGE
and leave a crack
Magma comes up
to
FILL the GAP