Copy below graph from Part 2-3

Spreading rate and water depth

0
-2500 -2000 -1500 -1000 -500 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500
-0.5
-1
-1.5
-2
Depth (km)

-2.5
-3
-3.5
-4
-4.5
-5

Distance (km)

Depth (50km/My) Depth (100km/My) Depth (200km/My)

Please answer the following questions:

How does an increase in sea floor spreading rate U influence:

a) Interpret the figure above.

What happens to the steepness of the MAR walls (very close to the ridge, up to 200 km
distance) for the different spreading rates?

The ____slower______ the spreading rate, the ____steeper_______the MAR walls.

Insert one of the following words: gentler, faster, slower at the correct part of the statement
above.

b) The depth of the ocean far from the ridge (e.g at 2000 km distance from the ridge?

The_______slower_____________ the spreading rate, the______deeper_____________ the ocean.

Insert two of the following words: deeper, shallower, faster, slower at the correct part of the
statement above.

c) In terms of the physical processes linked to MAR formation, explain why the above answers
make sense. to this answer the following sub questions:
 Two cars start at the same time in Chico and drive the same path to San Francisco. Car (A)
drives slower than car (B). Which car needs more time to reach San Francisco, car A or car B?
- Car A

 If the slower car is more fuel efficient, which car has used less fuel (Car A or Car B)
- Car A is slow, and is more fuel efficient
 If no other physical changes occurred to the cars besides the different usage of fuel, which
car is lighter when it reaches San Francisco?
- Car B
Now to the rocks formed at the mid ocean ridge:
 Rocks cool down during the travel from its origin at the mid ocean ridge. Which rock
would be colder at 2000 km distance, the rock which arrives at this distance first or the
rock which arrives at the same distance later?
- The rock arrives at the same distance latter.

 Change in temperature means a change in density. The cooler a rock, the higher the
density. Now, which rock has the higher density, a rock that reaches a 2000 km distance
first (faster spreading rate, has less time to cool) or a rock that reaches this distance
later (slower spreading rate, has more time to cool).
- The rock reaches this distance later.

 If an object has a higher density than another object, which objects sinks deeper in the
same medium? Or: An ice cube has a lower density than a rock of the same volume. You
throw both the ice and the small rock in a glass of water. Which sinks deeper, the ice
cube or the rock?
- The rock

 Now relate the previous questions to rocks found at 2000 km distance from the mid
ocean ridge. Which rocks sinks deeper into the mantle, the cooler rock or the warmer
rock?
- The slower plate has more time to cool. Therefore, this plate is denser, and sink is
deeper.

 What happens to the water depth above the rocks if one sinks deeper than the other?
- Water depth increases

 Can you now create a relationship between spreading rate, temperature, density and
water depth at the same distance (e.g., 2000 km away from the mid ocean ridge?
- Plate that moves slower, have more time to cool. Therefore, those plate are denser,
and sink is deeper into the mantle. This will result in an increase water depth in
comparison to the water depth above a fast-moving plate.