The Sea Floor Is Constantly Shrinking

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The sea floor is constantly shrinking.

When the weight of an area of earth s crust increases the lithosphere. 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. The pacific is slowly shrinking because it is folding the sea floor in towards the center of the earth this is called subduction. The process is continuous because forces cause opposite sides of the mid ocean ridge to constantly move apart making new room for the process to repeat.

Seafloor spreading is the continuous process of forming new igneous rock at mid ocean ridges by injection of magma that forms new seafloor. Trenches located near south america alaska and eastern asia are continually removing sea floor as new seafloor is being added along the pacific s mid ocean ridges. Asked 3 29 2017 1 32 49 pm. The reason the pacific ocean is shrinking is because of the deep water trenches there while the atlantic ocean is getting bigger.

In about 500 million years the pacific will not be there and the. It is also shrinking because of plate tectonics. Updated 3 30 2017 1 59 42 am. Explain the following statement.

Seafloor spreading theory that oceanic crust forms along submarine mountain zones and spreads out laterally away from them. The seafloor is constantly shrinking. Vi hat is the evidence for sea floor spreading. Vl hat happens at deep ocean trenches.

Because of sea floor spreading the ocean floor is constantly renewing itself. But the pacific ocean is slowly shrinking at a rate of 0 5 square kilometers 0 19 square miles per year due to plate tectonics. Ii hat is the process of sea floor spreading. The longest chain of mountains in the world is the system of mid ocean ridges.

In the mid 1900s scientists mapped the mid ocean ridges using sonar. It is massive with an estimated area of 63 8 million square miles and an average depth of 13 000 feet. Rising magma cools and solidifies to form new rock that replaces the ocean floor. The seafloor is constantly shrinking.

The atlantic is growing as a result of seafloor being added along the mid ocean ridge that runs its length. Log in for more information. It makes up 28 of the earth s surface and is home to the world s deepest oceanic trench the mariana trench. Seafloor spreading occurs along mid ocean ridges large mountain ranges rising from the ocean floor.