Why Were Magnetic Patterns Found On The Ocean Floor Puzzling

No rocks were magnetic.

Why were magnetic patterns found on the ocean floor puzzling.

Tracks of continents plowing through the ocean floor rock. When the earth s magnetic field reverses a new stripe with the new polarity begins. Why were magnetic patterns found on the ocean floor puzzling. The magnetic patterns were a mirror image of each side of the ridge.

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. Why were magnetic patterns found on the ocean floor puzzling. What finally confirmed wegener s hypothesis of continental drift. Magnetic stripes and isotopic clocks oceanographic exploration in the 1950s led to a much better understanding of the ocean floor.

Magnetic patterns on the ocean floor were puzzling because they showed altering bands on of normal and reversed polarity wegeners hypothesis of continental drift was finally confirmed by. Over time the earth s magnetic field reverses its north to south polarity and the magnetic minerals point in the opposite direction creating a striped pattern. Because they showed alternating bands of normal and reversed polarity. Plate tectonics and reversals of the earth s magnetic field are responsible for the magnetic stripes found on the ocean floor.

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. Magnetic patterns on the ocean floor were puzzling because they. Sea floor spreading adds new material to the ocean floor. These patterns were unlike any seen for continental rocks.

Evidence that was discovered nearly 2 decades after his death. The himalayan mountains were formed in a collision at. Among the new findings was the discovery of zebra stripe like magnetic patterns for the rocks of the ocean floor. The figure below includes two images of the ocean floor.

Why was the study of paleomagnetism in the study of plate tectonics. Why were magnetic patterns on the ocean floor puzzling.