What causes sea floor spreading?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking about the geological processes that lead to sea floor spreading. It involves understanding tectonic plate movements and the phenomena occurring at mid-ocean ridges where new oceanic crust is formed as magma rises and solidifies.
Answer
Seafloor spreading occurs at divergent plate boundaries due to mantle convection currents forming new crust.
The final answer is: Seafloor spreading occurs at divergent plate boundaries where tectonic plates move away from each other, allowing mantle convection currents to rise and create new oceanic crust.
Answer for screen readers
The final answer is: Seafloor spreading occurs at divergent plate boundaries where tectonic plates move away from each other, allowing mantle convection currents to rise and create new oceanic crust.
More Information
Seafloor spreading plays a crucial role in the cycle of oceanic crust creation and destruction, affecting not just the ocean floor but also continental drift.
Tips
A common mistake is to assume that all volcanic activity results in seafloor spreading, but it specifically occurs at divergent boundaries where plates are moving apart.
Sources
- Seafloor Spreading - nationalgeographic.org
- Seafloor Spreading Definition, Causes & Evidence - Study.com - study.com
- Seafloor spreading - Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org
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