Chapter 7 Section 2
What You Will Learn
Describe Wegener’s hypothesis of continental drift.
Explain how sea-floor spreading provides a way for continents to move.
Describe how new oceanic lithosphere forms at mid-ocean ridges.
Explain how magnetic reversals provide evidence for sea-floor spreading.
Wegener’s Continental Drift Hypothesis
One scientist who looked at the pieces of this
puzzle was Alfred Wegener (VAY guh nuhr).
In the early 1900s, he wrote about his hypothesis
of continental drift.
Continental drift is the hypothesis that states
that the continents once formed a single
landmass, broke up, and drifted to their present
locations.
This hypothesis seemed to explain a lot of
puzzling observations, including the observation
of how well continents fit together.
Continental Drift
Continental drift also explained
why fossils of the same plant and
animal species are found on
continents that are on different
sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
Many of these ancient species
could not have crossed the Atlantic
Ocean.
The Breakup of Pangaea
Wegener made many observations before
proposing his hypothesis of continental drift.
He thought that all of the present continents
were once joined in a single, huge continent.
Wegener called this continent Pangaea (pan JEE
uh), which is Greek for “all earth.”
We now know from the hypothesis of plate
tectonics that Pangaea existed about 245 million
years ago.
We also know that Pangaea further split into two
huge continents—Laurasia and Gondwana—about
180 million years ago.
Sea-Floor Spreading
When Wegener put forth his hypothesis of
continental drift, many scientists would not
accept his hypothesis.
From the calculated strength of the rocks, it did
not seem possible for the crust to move in this
way.
During Wegener’s life, no one knew the answer. It
wasn’t until many years later that evidence
provided some clues to the forces that moved the
continents.
Mid-Ocean Ridges and Sea-Floor Spreading
A chain of submerged mountains
runs through the center of the
Atlantic Ocean.
The chain is part of a worldwide
system of mid-ocean ridges. Mid-
ocean ridges are underwater
mountain chains that run through
Earth’s ocean basins.
Mid-Ocean Ridges Continued
Mid-ocean ridges are places where sea-floor spreading
takes place.
Sea-floor spreading is the process by which new oceanic
lithosphere forms as magma rises toward the surface and
solidifies.
As the tectonic plates move away from each other, the sea
floor spreads apart and magma fills in the gap.
As this new crust forms, the older crust gets pushed away
from the mid-ocean ridge.
As Figure 3 shows, the older crust is farther away from
the mid-ocean ridge than the younger crust is.
Evidence for Sea-Floor Spreading: Magnetic
Reversals
Some of the most important evidence of sea-floor
spreading comes from magnetic reversals
recorded in the ocean floor.
Throughout Earth’s history, the north and south
magnetic poles have changed places many times.
When the poles change places, the polarity of
Earth’s magnetic poles changes
When Earth’s magnetic poles change places, this
change is called a magnetic reversal.
Magnetic Reversals and Sea-Floor Spreading
Themolten rock at the mid-ocean ridges contains tiny
grains of magnetic minerals.
These mineral grains contain iron and are like compasses.
They align with the magnetic field of the Earth.
Whenthe molten rock cools, the record of these tiny
compasses remains in the rock.
This
record is then carried slowly away from the spreading
center of the ridge as sea-floor spreading occurs.
Magnetic Reversal Continued
Whenthe Earth’s magnetic field reverses, the magnetic
mineral grains align in the opposite direction.
The new rock records the direction of the Earth’s magnetic
field.
Asthe sea floor spreads away from a mid-ocean ridge, it
carries with it a record of magnetic reversals.
Thisrecord of magnetic reversals was the final proof that
sea-floor spreading does occur.
Section Summary
Wegener hypothesized that continents drift apart from one another and have
done so in the past.
The process by which new oceanic lithosphere forms at mid-ocean ridges is
called sea-floor spreading.
As tectonic plates separate, the sea floor spreads apart and magma fills in
the gap.
Magnetic reversals are recorded over time in oceanic crust.
