INTRODUCTION

Seafloor Spreading
■ The process by which plate tectonics
produces new oceanic lithosphere at
oceanic ridges.
Spreading Centers

■ On the seafloor we see alternating

bands of normal and reverse polarity
rocks
■ Bands are

symmetrical on
both sides of a
mid ocean ridge
Spreading Centers

■ We see symmetrical
bands because the
two bands formed at
the same time
■ After they formed
the bands were
moved apart as the
plates separated
 Mid-Atlantic
Spreading GREENLAND

Ridge
ICELAND

http://nsdl.org
MAGNETIC REVERSAL
by : DAISY B. REVILLA
Magnetic Reversal

■ Also called the magnetic

“flip” of the Earth
Magnetic Reversal

■ It happens when the North

Pole is transformed into a
South Pole and the South
Pole becomes the North
Pole.
Earth’s Magnetic Field

■ Generated by the
convective motion of the
fluid outer core about the
solid inner core.
Earth’s Magnetic Field

■ Geodynamo: conversion of
mechanical energy
(convection of metals) to
electrical energy which
produces the magnetic field.
Earth’s Magnetic Field

■A magnetic field produced

by such fluid motion is
inherently unstable and not
as uniform as about a
simple bar magnet.
Magnetization of rocks

■ Magnetic field generated by a

rock due to the alignment of
magnetic fields of rock
forming minerals.
■ Remnant Magnetic Signature
( RMS ).
Magnetization of rocks

■ "Remnant" because it
formed at the time of
crystallization and cooling
Magnetization of rocks

■ "Remnant" because it
formed at the time of
crystallization and cooling
Magnetization of rocks

■ RMS develops as the rock

cools and its temperature falls
below the Curie Point.
■ Curie point- the temperature
at which the magnetic fields
develop in minerals
Below the Curie Point the magnetic fields of the minerals act like tiny compass needles:
they become aligned to the Earth's magnetic field.
Normal Polarity
■ Igneous rocks cool from magma-
contain magnetic minerals
■ Magnetic minerals align with the
earth’s magnetic field
N
Igneous Rock Earth’s
with magnetic magnetic
minerals field
pointing
towards earth’s
north pole
S
Reverse Polarity
■ Sometimes the North and South
Poles of the earth’s magnetic field
switch called reverse polarity
N S

S N

Reverse
Normal
Polarity
Polarity
 Reverse Polarity
■ When the magnetic field is reversed,
igneous rocks will record it
■ Magnetic minerals always point toward the
magnetic north pole, where ever it is
S

Igneous Rock with Earth’s

magnetic minerals magnetic
pointing towards field
earth’s north pole
N
■ Side by side these rocks look like this:

■ This tells scientists that the magnetic

poles reverse some time between
when one rock formed and when the
other formed.
■ CORRECTno_earth.mpg
Magnetic Anomalies

■ An outcome of the
magnetization of rocks
■ That RMS can locally change
the Earth’s magnetic field
strength
Magnetic Polarity Map
Act. 6 How fast does it go!