Ocean Floor Is Created At

The ocean floor covers more than 70 percent of the planet s surface.

Ocean floor is created at.

The lack of weathering and erosion in most areas however allows geological processes to be seen more clearly on. In recent years satellite images show a very clear mapping of the seabed and are used extensively in the study and exploration of the ocean floor. The magnetism of mid ocean ridges helped scientists first identify the process of seafloor spreading in the early 20th century. The ocean floor has the same general character as the land areas of the world.

Since the new oceanic basins are shallower than the old oceanic basins the total capacity of the world s ocean basins decreases during times of active sea floor spreading. Plate tectonics and the ocean floor. Other articles where ocean floor is discussed. Like dry land the ocean floor has various features including flat plains sharp mountains and rugged canyons fig.

There are extensive fissures along the ocean floor where the plates on either side are constantly spreading away from. The ocean floor is constantly changing and forming through plate tectonics. Geolo gists have discovered that the amount by which the oceanic crust subsides is related to its age only if the crust is not overlain with and therefore. Bathymetry the shape of the ocean floor is largely a result of a process called plate tectonics the outer rocky layer of the earth includes about a dozen large sections called tectonic plates that are arranged like a spherical jig saw puzzle floating on top of the earth s hot flowing mantle.

As sea floor spreading continues newly created crust moves away from the mid ocean ridge crest and gradually becomes cooler thicker and denser with the result that it subsides. Mountains plains channels canyons exposed rocks and sediment covered areas. During the opening of the atlantic ocean sea level was so high that a western interior seaway formed across north america from the gulf of mexico to the arctic ocean. However the lowest point in the world ocean is much deeper than the highest point on land.

Seabed contains several hundred years worth of cobalt and nickel. The process that continually adds new material to the ocean floor is seafloor spreading and the continental slope. Exploration of the seafloor and the earth s crust.