What Is Seafloor Spreading Theory Upsc

Seafloor spreading disproves an early part of the theory of continental drift.

What is seafloor spreading theory upsc. It opened up a whole new paradigm for the study of geomorphology. After the second world war the understanding of ocean floor significantly changed. Cold seawater cools and solidifies this magma to form new. Supporters of continental drift originally theorize d that the continents moved drifted through unmoving oceans.

Thus the midocean ridges contain the newest crust formed on the planet. Sea floor spreading theory is important for the upsc prelim and main exam. Tectonic plates move away from each other due to thermal convective currents this leads to fractures and cracks in the earth s oceanic crust which is filled up with magma bubbling up from earth s mantle aesthenosphere. Harry hess authored sea floor spreading theory to explain the distribution of continents and oceans.

Volcanic eruptions create new basaltic ocean floor that then spreads away laterally from the ridge. The theory of sea floor spreading states that new oceanic crust is being formed continuously at mid oceanic ridges while the older rocks move away from the ridge. That is it explains why the age thickness and density of the oceanic crust increases with distance from the mid oceanic ridge. Hess argued constant eruptions at the crest of oceanic ridges ruptures the ocean crust and new lava wedges into it pushing the oceanic crust either side the ocean floor this spreads how it causes volcano n earth quake.

Keeping earth in shape. The theory of seafloor spreading seafloor spreading is a geologic process where there is a gradual addition of new oceanic crust in the ocean floor through a volcanic activity while moving the older rocks away from the mid oceanic ridge. When oceanic plates diverge tensional stress causes fractures to occur in the lithosphere. Theory given by harry hess according to him sea floor spreading occurs in divergent plate boundaries i e.

Seafloor spreading proves that the ocean itself is a site of tectonic activity. Seafloor spreading helps explain continental drift in the theory of plate tectonics.