Seafloor Spreading Basalt

Once the basalt cools completely into solid rock the.

Seafloor spreading basalt. And alfred wegener was. It was determined that the seafloor basalt is youngest at mid ocean ridges and oldest adjacent to continents. Seafloor basalt interaction between cold seawater and hot mafic ultramafic rocks in the 65 000 km long oceanic spreading ridge system is likely the largest active metamorphic system on the planet. Seafloor spreading had been proved.

Most basalt magmas contain abundant molten iron. The magnetism of mid ocean ridges helped scientists first identify the process of seafloor spreading in the early 20th century. Their crystals are pulled into alignment by the earth s magnetic field just like a compass needle is pulled towards magnetic north. Basalt the once molten rock that makes up most new oceanic crust is a fairly magnetic substance and scientists began using magnetometers to measure the magnetism of the ocean floor in the 1950s what they discovered was that the magnetism of the ocean floor around.

This idea played a pivotal role in the development of the theory of plate tectonics which revolutionized geologic thought during the last quarter of the 20th century. As magma starts to harden into rock iron rich minerals solidify first. Harry hess was right. Seafloor spreading processes create new oceanic crust at mid ocean ridges and destroy older crust at deep sea trenches.