Seafloor spreading disproves an early part of the theory of continental drift. Supporters of continental drift originally theorized that the continents moved (drifted) through unmoving oceans. Seafloor spreading proves that
the ocean itself is a site of tectonic activity
.
Who combined continental drift and seafloor spreading?
This “recycling” process, later named “seafloor spreading,” carries off older sediment and fossils, and moves the continents as new ocean crust
How are seafloor spreading and continental drift similar?
Seafloor spreading
disproves
an early part of the theory of continental drift. Supporters of continental drift originally theorized that the continents moved (drifted) through unmoving oceans. Seafloor spreading proves that the ocean itself is a site of tectonic activity.
What aspect of the continental drift theory is opposed by the seafloor spreading theory?
Portrayal of thermal convection as a mechanism. The main issue with Wegener’s Continental Drift Theory was he did
not have a mechanism behind the drifting of continents
.
How has the seafloor spreading affected the continents?
Seafloor spreading is
the mechanism for Wegener’s drifting continents
. Convection currents within the mantle take the continents on a conveyor-belt ride of oceanic crust that over millions of years takes them around the planet’s surface.
What are the 4 evidence of continental drift?
They based their idea of continental drift on several lines of evidence:
fit of the continents, paleoclimate indicators, truncated geologic features, and fossils
.
What are the features of seafloor?
Features of the ocean include
the continental shelf, slope, and rise
. The ocean floor is called the abyssal plain
Why was Pangea not accepted?
Despite having this geological and paleontological evidence, Wegener’s theory of continental drift was not accepted by the scientific community, because
his explanation of the driving forces behind continental movement
What was missing from the continental drift theory?
The greatest problem facing Wegener was the lack of
direct evidence for the movements of continents
(no GPS at the time!) and no mechanism was known to be powerful enough to move entire continents.
Why is the continental drift theory not accepted?
The main reason that Wegener’s hypothesis was not accepted was
because he suggested no mechanism for moving the continents
. He thought the force of Earth’s spin was sufficient to cause continents to move, but geologists knew that rocks are too strong for this to be true.
What does seafloor spreading look like?
Seafloor spreading occurs at divergent plate boundaries. As tectonic plates slowly move away from each other, heat from the mantle’s convection currents makes the crust more plastic and less dense. The less-dense material rises, often forming a mountain or elevated area of the seafloor.
Why is seafloor spreading important?
Today it refers to the processes creating new oceanic lithosphere
Who came up with the theory of seafloor spreading?
Harry Hess
What are 3 pieces of evidence for continental drift?
Alfred Wegener
What does Pangaea mean in Greek?
Pangea was surrounded by a global ocean called Panthalassa, and it was fully assembled by the Early Permian Epoch (some 299 million to 273 million years ago). … Its name is derived from the Greek pangaia, meaning
“all the Earth
.”
How do the continents fit together?
The continents fit together like pieces of a puzzle. …
Alfred Wegener
