How did seafloor spreading help explain Wegener’s hypothesis?

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How was Wegener’s hypothesis proved?

Alfred Wegener produced evidence in 1912 that the continents are in motion, but because he could not explain what forces could move them, geologists rejected his ideas. Almost 50 years later Harry Hess confirmed Wegener’s ideas by using the evidence of seafloor spreading to explain what moved continents.

How did the seafloor spreading theory vindicate Wegener?

Similar to Wegener’s theory that continents do in fact move, Hess’ seafloor spreading contradicted Wegener’s continental drift in that it involved the ocean sea floor moving as it expanded—instead of continents ploughing through the sea.

What evidence supports Alfred Wegener’s hypothesis?

Wegener used fossil evidence to support his continental drift hypothesis. The fossils of these organisms are found on lands that are now far apart. Grooves and rock deposits left by ancient glaciers are found today on different continents very close to the equator.

How does seafloor spreading contribute to the motion of the continents?

Seafloor spreading creates new oceanic crust at a mid-ocean ridge. When this new material reaches the end of the plate and comes into contact with another plate, whether continental or not, a convergent or a transform boundary will occur.

How does seafloor spreading support the hypothesis of continental drift?

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.

How did Alfred Wegener explain the movement of continents?

The theory of continental drift is most associated with the scientist Alfred Wegener. In the early 20th century, Wegener published a paper explaining his theory that the continental landmasses were “drifting” across the Earth, sometimes plowing through oceans and into each other.

How does seafloor spreading support the hypothesis of continental drift quizlet?

Explain how seafloor spreading provides a mechanism for continental drift. New ocean lithosphere forms as magma rises to Earth’s surface and solidifies at a mid-ocean ridge. This suggested that if the ocean floor is moving, which could push the continents too.

Which supports the theory of seafloor spreading?

The seafloor drilling system led to the evidence that supports the seafloor-spreading hypothesis. The samples obtained from the seafloor drill reveals that the rocks away from the mid-oceanic ridge were relatively older than the rocks near to it.

How did Hess seafloor spreading theory explain why so little sediment is deposited on the ocean floor?

How did Hess’ seafloor spreading theory explain why so little sediment is deposited on the ocean floor? The ocean floor is continually recycling and sediment has been accumulating for more than 300 million years. What were Hess’ contributions to space research?

What evidence supports the theory of seafloor spreading?

Supporting Evidence for Seafloor Spreading

First, samples of the deep ocean floor show that basaltic oceanic crust and overlying sediment become progressively younger as the mid-ocean ridge is approached, and the sediment cover is thinner near the ridge.

Why did scientists reject Wegener’s theory of continental drift hypothesis?

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.

How do fossils help prove that the continents move?

One type of evidence that strongly supported the Theory of Continental Drift is the fossil record. Fossils of similar types of plants and animals in rocks of a similar age have been found on the shores of different continents, suggesting that the continents were once joined.

What is Alfred Wegener theory?

Continental drift was a revolutionary theory explaining that continents shift position on Earth’s surface. The theory was proposed by geophysicist and meteorologist Alfred Wegener in 1912, but was rejected by mainstream science at the time.

How does seafloor spreading affect the environment essay?

The rate of spreading determines how much CO2 is released to the atmosphere. When seafloor spreading speeds up, more lava is produced, causing more CO2 to be released into the atmosphere, promoting global warming.

What scientist helped discover the process of seafloor spreading?

The seafloor spreading hypothesis was proposed by the American geophysicist Harry H. Hess in 1960.

How does Harry Hess explain the seafloor theory?

In this classic paper, Hess outlined the basics of how seafloor spreading works: molten rock (magma) oozes up from the Earth’s interior along the mid-oceanic ridges, creating new seafloor that spreads away from the active ridge crest and, eventually, sinks into the deep oceanic trenches.

What is the major evidence that sea floor spreading creates new lithosphere explain your answer?

The record of magnetic reversals is carried away from each side of the spreading center of a mid-ocean ridge, showing that the molten rock is creating new lithosphere.

How did Wegener explain similar fossils on different continents?

How did Wegener explain similar fossils on different continents? Since neither reptile could have swum great distances across salt water he inferred that they once lived on a single landmass that has since split apart. How did Wegener think that mountains formed? When continents collide, their edges crumple up.

What are the arguments against Wegener’s hypothesis?

There were two main arguments against his thesis: one centered on the fact that no one could think of a mechanism that could move the continents, while the other concerned the question of whether the data supported Wegener. Wegener advanced five pieces of evidence that supported his thesis of continental motion.

What do fossils do with Wegener’s theory?

Finding similarities among the fossil records on different continents provides evidence for the theory that current continents were once connected. The fact that life on each continent is now distinct is another type of evidence.

How does seafloor spreading affect the earth?

Seafloor spreading can also drastically change sea levels. When oceanic crust parts ways with mid-ocean ridges, they can sometimes sink even lower than before, which can actually lower the sea level.

How does seafloor spreading affect climate?

The excess heat coming to the surface also induced rapid seafloor spreading. This increase in volcanic activity released additional CO2 from the mantle into the atmosphere which increased the greenhouse effect and caused the climate to warm. The increased rate of seafloor spreading caused sea level to rise.

What would happen if the rate of seafloor spreading was faster?

What would happen if the rate of seafloor spreading was faster than the rate of subduction? The Earth would grow larger.

When did Harry Hess propose the theory of seafloor spreading?

The discovery of the Great Global Rift in the 1950s inspired him to look back at his data from years before. After much thought, he proposed in 1960 that the movement of the continents was a result of sea-floor spreading.

Which phenomenon idea did Arthur Holmes believe was responsible for continental drift?

Holmes primary contribution was his proposed theory that convection occurred within the Earth’s mantle, which explained the push and pull of continent plates together and apart. He also assisted scientists in oceanographic research in the 1950s, which publicized the phenomenon known as sea floor spreading.

How did Wegener explain why fossil of land?

How did Wegener explain why fossils of land animals were found on continents that are across oceans from one another? – Animals evolved separately on each continent.

In what direction did Wegener think that the continents moved?

Today glaciers only form on land and nearer the poles. Wegener thought that the glaciers were centered over the southern land mass close to the South Pole and the continents moved to their present positions later on.

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