Sea Floor Spreading Notes
What happened to Wegener’s hypothesis? ● His theory of Continental Drift was
rejected at the time
Why was Wegener’s hypothesis rejected? ● He could not explain what caused
the continents to move
Mid-Ocean Ridges ● Mid-ocean ridges are long chains of
mountains on the ocean floor
● Molten (melted) rock from inside
the earth rises to the surface and
hardens into rock
● Mid-ocean ridges continually add
new material to the ocean floor,
pushing older rock away from the
ridge.
Sea-floor spreading ● Geologist Harry Hess suggested
that the ocean floor moves like a
conveyor belt
● He called the continuous addition of
oceanic crust sea-floor spreading
Molten material ● Pillow Lava
–Forms when lava cools quickly
–Pillow lava tells us that rock on the sea
floor came from inside the earth
Drilling samples ● Younger rocks are found closer to
spreading centers while older rocks
are found further away
● This tells us that the rock was
created at mid-ocean ridges
● As new rock is created, older rock
moves across the ocean floor, away
from the ridge
Deep ocean trenches ● At deep-ocean trenches part of the
ocean floor sinks back into the
mantle
● Oceanic crust sinks because it is
more dense than continental crust.
Subduction ● This process is called subducrions
● Oceanic crust is created at
mid-ocean ridges and destroyed at
deep-ocean trenches
Discuss with your group, where would you
find the examples of:
Continental Crust
Thinner line
Oceanic Crust
Bigger line
Discuss with your group, where would you
find the examples of
Deep ocean trench x2
Crust is being destroyed x2
Mid-ocean ridge
Crust is being created
Plate Tectonic Notes
Theory of Plate Tectonics ● Plate tectonics is a theory that
describes the structure of the
Earth’s crust.
● The theory suggests that the
Earth’s crust is broken into several
different plates that are able to
glide over the Earth’s mantle.
Lithosphere ● The outermost layer of the Earth is
known as the lithosphere. All of the
Earth’s plates are found on this
layer.
● Oceanic crust is made primarily of
basalt (high density)
● Continental crust is made primarily
of granite
Name of the Earth’s Plates Pacific Plate
Eurasian Plate
African Plate
North American Plate
South American Plate
Australian Plate
Antarctic Plate
Indian Plate
Caribbean Plate
Nazca Plate
Philippine Sea Plate
Arabian Plate
Cocos Plate
Scotia Plate
Juan De Fuca Plate
Plate Boundaries ● Each plate shares a boundary with
another plate.
● There are three types of plate
boundaries
● Divergent Plate Boundary
● Convergent Plate Boundary
● Transform Plate Boundary
● At each of these boundaries
something different is happening
with the plates.
Divergent Boundary ● At this type of boundary, plates
move away from each other
● An example of this between two
oceanic plates would be the mid
ocean ridge
● Two continental plates would
create a rift valley
Convergent Boundary ● At this type of boundary, plates
move towards each other
Convergent Boundary (Continental to ● When a continental and oceanic
Oceanic) plate collide, the more dense
oceanic plate subducts below the
less dense continental plate. This
forms deep ocean trenches and
volcanoes.
Convergent Boundary (Oceanic to ● When two oceanic plates
Oceanic) converge, the denser plate will
subduct. This is typically the older
of the two plates. This will form
trenches and volcanic island arcs.
Convergent Boundary (Continental to When two continental plates collide,
Continental) they smash into each other. This
causes the continental crust to
buckle and create mountains. The
most famous example of this is the
Himalayan mountains.
Transform Boundary ● A transform boundary occurs when
two plates slide past each other.
This can lead to a build up of
pressure as the rocks try to move
past one another.
● When the pressure is finally
released, earthquakes can occur.
Continental Drift Notes
Propose an explanation based on evidence that could explain why the same fossils,
rock structures, and plants are found on continents that are not touching each
other today. 12/19/25
● Because they all were one continent with some fossils in 5 or so areas that
drifted away from each other.
Who was the Alfred Wegener came up with this theory in 1912.
scientist known
for this theory?
What year did he
come up with it?
Theory of - Continents were once joined in a supercontinent called
Continental Drift Pangea. The continents slowly drifted to their current
locations.
- Pangea existed about 200-300 Million years ago.
Evidence #1 - Fossils of Mesosaurus reptiles were found in both
Similar Fossils South America and Africa.
(two slides) - Mesosaurus lived in freshwater. It could not have
swam across a salt water ocean.
- Fossils of Glossopteris plants are found in Africa,
Australia, India, South America, & Antarctica.
- These areas must have been connected once & had
the same climate.
Evidence #2 - Puzzle-like fit of the continents. Ex. The coastlines
Continent Shapes of South America & Africa look like they fit
together.
Evidence #3 - Fossils of warm weather plants are found in
Climate Clues Antarctica —> Continents must have drifted from a
warmer place to a colder place.
- Glacial deposits were found in South America, Africa,
India, and Australia. They must have drifted from a
colder place to a warmer place.
- It is generally warmer by the equator and colder near
the poles.
Evidence #4 - Mountain ranges on separate continents line-up.
Rock Structures - Ex. Parts of Alpine Mts are similar to those found in
Greenland & western Europe.
- Rocks in eastern South America & western Africa are
similar.
What happened to - Wegener could not explain HOW the continents
Alfred Wegener’s moved.
theory? - Therefore, his hypothesis was rejected by many
geologists of that time.
Earth’s Interior notes
List the correct order of the Earth’s layers Crust, Mantle, Outer core, and Inter core is
using the simplified diagram on the the order surface to core.
presentation.
List the correct order of the Earth’s layers Lithosphere (Continental and Oceanic crust)
using the complex diagram on the Asthenosphere (Mantle)
presentation. Liquid Outer core
Solid Inter core
Crust The Earth’s crust can be broken into two
categories-
Continental Crust- Thick layer of granite with
low density.
Oceanic Crust- Thin layer of basalt with high
density.
Asthenosphere Upper layer of the Earth’s mantle. Located
right beneath the Lithosphere.
Its consistency can be thought of as something
similar to molasses or syrup. Very thick
semi-solid.
This consistency allows the plates to float and
move on top of it.
Convection Currents Within the Earth’s atmosphere, there is a
constant heating and cooling action going on.
The magma near the core has an increase in
heat which causes it to rise to the surface. As it
moves away from the core it eventually cools
and sinks back down.
Over time, this rising and falling of hot magma
can weaken established plates. This can break
down pre-existing plates.
Create a mnemonic device to help remember If you go around the entire earth, you’ll start
the correct order. at australia (Near outer Core) and go up to
Canada (Ridge), then go down to NA
(Mid-Ocean Trench) and then go down to
Mexico (Start of Mantle).
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