The Rocks On The Ocean Floor Are Magnetic In Stripes

When magma flows out of a mid ocean ridge small magnetic minerals in the magma align themselves to point in the direction of the earth s current magnetic north.

The rocks on the ocean floor are magnetic in stripes. When scientists studied the magnetic properties of the seafloor they discovered normal and reversed magnetic stripes with different widths. The rock of the ocean floor contains iron. These two things were the magnetic striping on the ocean floor and the age of seafloor rocks. Magnetic stripes and isotopic clocks oceanographic exploration in the 1950s led to a much better understanding of the ocean floor.

The rock began as molten material that cooled and hardened. Magma acquires the magnetic direction present on earth when it hardens into rock 3. Different types of evidence supported hess s theory of sea floor spreading. The investigation of the mid ocean ridge using the magnetic stripes resulted in the three discoveries.

Such magnetic patterns led to recognition of the occurrence of sea floor spreading and they remain some of the strongest evidence for the theory of plate tectonics. Identify the factors that cause magnetic stripes to form along the ocean floor. As the african crust stretched thin streams of magma intruded the continental crust and hardened. This evidence made scientists take a second look at wegener s hypothesis of continental drift.

The patterns of the magnetic field will then be compared to the rocks to determine its approximate ages. Among the new findings was the discovery of zebra stripe like magnetic patterns for the rocks of the ocean floor. Plates move as new rock forms which causes magnetic direction to skew away. Magnetic striping magnetic minerals are found in rocks.

The figure below includes two images of the ocean floor. Plate tectonics and reversals of the earth s magnetic field are responsible for the magnetic stripes found on the ocean floor. These magnetic patterns are parallel to the mid ocean ridges and symmetrical on both sides. Magnetic direction of rock changes as earth s magnetic poles drift.

The minerals contained in the rocks are oriented opposite to the magnetic field. And unlike magnetic stripes on the ocean floor tendaho s formed through diking. Magnetic striping of the sea floor after mid ocean ridges and trenches were discovered more evidence was discovered that helped to support the theory that the continents had moved around. These patterns were unlike any seen for continental rocks.

Scientists discovered that the rock that makes up the ocean floor lies in a pattern of magnetized stripes these stripes hold a record of reversals in earth s magnetic field. As rocks crystallize from lava at the ridges they literally record the magnetic field of the earth at the time.