Seafloor Spreading Vocab

Convection Current

A movement of fluid caused by differences in temperature and density, driving the flow of material in the mantle, which in turn influences tectonic plate movement and seafloor spreading.

Mid-Ocean Ridge

An underwater mountain range formed by plate tectonics, where seafloor spreading occurs, allowing magma to rise and create new oceanic crust.

Seafloor Spreading

The process by which new oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges as tectonic plates diverge--or move apart-leading to the gradual movement of the seafloor away from the ridge.

Tectonic Plates

Large sections of the Earth's lithosphere that fit together like a puzzle, constantly moving and interacting at their boundaries, causing geological phenomena such as earthquakes, volcanic activity, and the formation of mountains.

Plate Tectonics

The theory explaining the movement and interaction of tectonic plates on the Earth's surface, leading to geological activities and features.

Subduction

The geological process in which one tectonic plate is forced beneath another into the mantle-with the more dense plate sinking beneath the less dense plate-often forming deep ocean trenches and volcanic arcs.

Paleomagnetism

The study of the magnetic properties of rocks, which provides information about the historical changes in Earth's magnetic field and the movement of tectonic plates over time.

Rift

A deep fracture or central valley along a mid-ocean ridge where tectonic plates pull apart and new ocean crust is created.