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Question
What is the importance of Seafloor Spreading to the Theory of Plate Tectonics?(1 point)
Responses
Where many fossils have been found on the sea floor
Where many fossils have been found on the sea floor
Where new crust is created as plates move and pull apart
Where new crust is created as plates move and pull apart
Where coal deposits have been found connect to other plates
Where coal deposits have been found connect to other plates
Where glacial deposits indicate it was once frozen
Where glacial deposits indicate it was once frozen
The correct response is:
Where new crust is created as plates move and pull apart
Seafloor spreading is an important piece of evidence that supports the theory of plate tectonics. It occurs at mid-oceanic ridges, where two tectonic plates are moving apart. As the plates move, magma rises from the mantle and fills the gap between them, creating new crust. This process is responsible for the continuous creation of new oceanic crust and the widening of the ocean basins. The study of seafloor spreading has provided scientists with valuable information about the age of the oceanic crust, the rate of plate movement, and the pattern of spreading centers around the globe, all of which have contributed to our understanding of the dynamic nature of Earth's lithosphere.