Continental Drift and Seafloor Spreading

Front

What is Continental Drift?

Back

The theory that continents have moved over geological time and were once joined together in a single landmass.

Front

Who proposed the theory of Continental Drift?

Back

Alfred Wegener proposed the theory of Continental Drift in 1912.

Front

What is Seafloor Spreading?

Back

The process by which new oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges and older crust moves away from the ridge.

Front

What evidence supports the theory of Continental Drift?

Back

Evidence includes the fit of continents, fossil similarities, and geological features across continents.

Front

What are tectonic plates?

Back

Large sections of the Earth's lithosphere that move and interact at their boundaries.

Front

What is the significance of magnetic polarity in seafloor studies?

Back

Magnetic polarity helps determine the age of the seafloor by showing patterns of magnetic reversals.

Front

What role does magma play in seafloor spreading?

Back

Magma rises from the mantle at mid-ocean ridges, creating new oceanic crust as it cools.

Front

What is convection in the context of Earth's mantle?

Back

Convection is the process of heat transfer in the mantle that drives the movement of tectonic plates.

Front

What happens at divergent boundaries?

Back

At divergent boundaries, tectonic plates move apart, leading to the formation of new crust.

Front

What is a mid-ocean ridge?

Back

An underwater mountain range formed by plate tectonics at divergent boundaries.