Topic 1:

What is seafloor spreading theory

and how does this theory helped
to prove Wegener’s Continental
Drift Theory?
 SEAFLOOR SPREADING
THEORY

There is a chain of submerged mountains

running through the center of the Atlantic
Ocean.
• This chain is called Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
• This ridge is part of a system of ocean
ridges.
• Mid-ocean ridges are underwater
mountain chains that run through the
Earth’s ocean basins.
The Earth’s longest mountain range
is underwater…

Mid-Atlantic
Ridge
The mid-ocean ridge system (shown in red) winds its way
between the continents much like the seam on a baseball.
 Mid-ocean ridge are where seafloor spreading
occurs.
• Seafloor spreading is the
process by which new
oceanic lithosphere is
created as older materials
are pushed away.
• As tectonic plates move
away from each other, the
sea floor spreads apart and
magma rises to fill the gap.
• The force responsible for
driving or moving the
plates is convection
currents.
• Convection currents occur
within the mantle of the
Earth when hot magma
rises and cold magma
sinks.
 Seafloor
Spreading
Process
• An American Scientist named Harry Proponent of Seafloor
Hess proposed the seafloor spreading Spreading
theory in 1962.
• The seafloor spreading theory states
that new ocean crust is being created
at mid-ocean ridges (which are large
mountain chains underwater) and
destroy at deep sea trenches.
• This is a proof that the plates are
moving along on a “conveyor belt”, so
Wegener’s idea on continental drift
was correct.
 Proof that Seafloor is
Spreading
1. New Molten Rock
• The oldest ocean floor rocks ever
found was 180 million years old.
Remember Earth is 4.6 billion
years old. This proves that ocean
floor is being destroyed therefore,
ocean floor rocks are young
compared to the age of the earth.
 Proof that Seafloor is
Spreading
2. Drilling Samples
• The Glomar Challenger drilled for
core samples.
• Samples revealed that rocks closest to
the ocean ridge were younger than the
rocks found farther from the ridge.
This means that new rocks are formed
at the ridges and push the older rocks
away from the ridge.
 Proof that Seafloor is
Spreading
2. Magnetic Reversals
• Geologists also discovered that the rocks
found at oceanic ridges showed the magnetic
reversals that the Earth has undergone.
• When magma cools the iron cools into
mineral magnetite. It lines up parallel to the
Earth’s present magnetic field. This iron-like
compass needles, points north. So when the
rock hardens, a record of the Earth’s
magnetic field at that time is locked in stone.
 Topic 2:
Structure and Evolution
of the Ocean Basins
OCEAN BASINS
• are a consequence of plate
motion.
• Subducting slabs pull on their
plates, leading to spreading at
divergent plate boundaries.
• are partially bounded by
continents
• Interconnected – “world ocean”
5 MAJOR OCEAN BASINS
1. Pacific Basin
2. Atlantic Basin
3. Indian Basin
4. Arctic Basin
5. Southern Basin
HMS CHALLENGER METEOR EXPEDITION MAP OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC
OCEAN BY BRUCE HEEZEN
EXPEDITION
CONTINENTAL MARGINS
1. CONTINENTAL SHELF - a portion
of a continent that is submerged
under an area of relatively shallow
water known as a shelf sea.
2. CONTINENTAL SLOPE - the
slope between the outer edge of
the continental shelf and the deep
ocean floor.
3. CONTINENTAL RISE - a wide,
gentle incline from a deep ocean
plain (abyssal plain) to a
continental slope.
 STRUCTURES OF THE OCEAN BASIN
1. SUBMARINE CANYONS - a steep-sided valley cut into the seabed of
the continental slope. It is created by fast currents and underwater
landslides within the drop off.
2. ABYSSAL PLAIN - an underwater plain or flat region on the deep
ocean floor, usually found at depths between 3,000 meters and 6,000
meters.
3. SEAMOUNT - an underwater mountain formed by volcanic activity that
does not reach to the water’s surface.
4. GUYOTS - also known as a table mount, is an isolated underwater
volcanic mountain with a flat top more than 200 m below the surface of
the sea.
 STRUCTURES OF THE OCEAN BASIN
1. ALLUVIAL FAN - a triangle-shaped deposit of gravel, sand, and even
smaller pieces of sediment, such as silt.
2. OCEAN TRENCH - are prominent long, narrow topographic
depressions of the ocean floor.
3. MID-OCEAN RIDGE - a seafloor mountain system formed by plate
tectonics. It typically has a depth of ~ 2,600 meters (8,500 ft) and rises
about two kilometers above the deepest portion of an ocean basin.
4. ABYSSAL HILL - a small hill that rises from the floor of an abyssal
plain.
5. VOLCANIC ISLAND ARC - a chain of volcanoes formed above a
subducting plate, positioned in an arc shape as seen from above.
https://quizizz.com/admin/quiz/5c61a13f328979001ba186b1/
ocean-basin-structures
On a piece of paper, draw the
seafloor structure.