The Sea Floor Is Constantly Shrinking

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.

The sea floor is constantly shrinking.

The pacific is slowly shrinking because it is folding the sea floor in towards the center of the earth this is called subduction. The reason the pacific ocean is shrinking is because of the deep water trenches there while the atlantic ocean is getting bigger. 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. Seafloor spreading is the continuous process of forming new igneous rock at mid ocean ridges by injection of magma that forms new seafloor.

The mid atlantic ridge for instance separates the north american plate from the eurasian plate and the south american plate from the african plate the east pacific rise is a mid ocean ridge that runs through the eastern pacific ocean and separates the pacific plate from the north american. Ii hat is the process of sea floor spreading. Asked 3 29 2017 1 32 49 pm. 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.

Because of sea floor spreading the ocean floor is constantly renewing itself. In about 500 million years the pacific will not be there and the. Vi hat is the evidence for sea floor spreading. It is massive with an estimated area of 63 8 million square miles and an average depth of 13 000 feet.

When the weight of an area of earth s crust increases the lithosphere. Rising magma cools and solidifies to form new rock that replaces the ocean floor. The atlantic is growing as a result of seafloor being added along the mid ocean ridge that runs its length. 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.

In the mid 1900s scientists mapped the mid ocean ridges using sonar. Updated 3 30 2017 1 59 42 am. The seafloor is constantly shrinking. Explain the following statement.

The seafloor is constantly shrinking. It makes up 28 of the earth s surface and is home to the world s deepest oceanic trench the mariana trench. Vl hat happens at deep ocean trenches. Search for an answer or ask weegy.

The pacific is neither growing nor shrinking. The longest chain of mountains in the world is the system of mid ocean ridges. It is also shrinking because of plate tectonics. Log in for more information.