Sea Floor Spreading Model Activity

Displaying top 8 worksheets found for activity seafloor spreading.

Sea floor spreading model activity.

Seafloor spreading is the movement of magma through a crack in a mid oceanic ridge. Seafloor spreading and other tectonic activity processes are the result of mantle convection. Mantle convection is the slow churning motion of earth s mantle. The purpose of this activity is to make a simple model that shows the evolution of oceanic crust through sea floor spreading.

Spreading rate is the rate at which an ocean basin widens due to seafloor spreading. As magma starts to harden into rock iron rich minerals solidify first. The creation of new sea floor at mid ocean spreading centers and its destruction in subduction zones is one of the many cycles that causes the earth to experience constant change. Seafloor spreading earth science indicator 9 describe the interior and structure of earth and earth s crust as divided into tectonic plates riding on top of slow moving currents of magma in the mantle earth science indicator 11 use models to analyze the size and shape of earth its surface and its interior e g globes.

Model of seafloor spreading templates one with three straight lines and another with striped bands or striped bands with arrows colored pencils or crayons. Some of the worksheets for this concept are sea floor spreading work sea floor spreading a model of seafloor spreading inside earth work magnetic reversals activity name date sea floor spreading l 1 2 3 5 4 ovr l lesson 3 seafloor profiling seafloor spreading and subduction. Most basalt magmas contain abundant molten iron. Seafloor spreading theory that oceanic crust forms along submarine mountain zones and spreads out laterally away from them.

The purpose of this activity is to make a simple model that shows the evolution of oceanic crust through sea floor spreading and subduction. The rate at which new oceanic lithosphere is added to each tectonic plate on either side of a mid ocean ridge is the spreading half rate and is equal to half of the spreading rate. 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. In the places where the plates are moving apart magma liquid rock moves up into the cracks and solidifies making a new ocean floor just like cake batter would ooze up through.

A model of seafloor spreading purpose. Once the basalt cools completely into solid rock the. Spreading rates determine if the ridge is fast intermediate or slow. Convection currents also recycle lithospheric materials back to the mantle.

Sea floor spreading happens at places where plates are moving away from each other and where the liquid rock from the asthenosphere can come up to the lithosphere. Their crystals are pulled into alignment by the earth s magnetic field just like a compass needle is pulled towards magnetic north.