Split and Separate 1

CONTINENTAL DRIFT
THEORY
In 1912, meteorologist Alfred Wegener proposed a theory about how the continents
were once a large landmass, called the Continental Drift Theory. He was able to
gather evidences that could support his claim, such as the Continental Jigsaw Puzzle
and various fossils found in different continents. However, his theory was not able to
explain the mechanism on how continents moved and drifted or broke into smaller
continents.
Split and Separate 2

SEAFLOOR
SPREADING THEORY
Around 1960s, scientists Harry Hess and Robert Dietz proposed another theory that
was able to give evidences on the mechanisms of the continents turning into smaller
continents. To, again, support this theory, they provided evidences on how the
seafloor actually moves or spreads. With the development of technology, scientists
were able to find out that there are fascinating geological structures on the ocean
floor.
Split and Separate 3

SEAFLOOR
SPREADING THEORY
The Seafloor Spreading evidences:
i. There are active fractures in the lithosphere along the ocean floor, in a pattern that
mimics the shapes of the continental coastline.
ii. The age of the seafloor rock increases as you get further away from the mid-
oceanic ridge.
iii. The thickness of the layer of sediments deposited on the ocean floor increases as
you get further away from the mid-ocean ridge.
iv. Patterns of seafloor magnetism on either side of mid-ocean ridges match up with
one another.
SPLIT AND
SEPARATE
Group 2
Science-10 Activity
OBJECTIVES
i. Simulate and describe the seafloor
spreading process.
ii. Realize the importance of the seafloor
spreading process relative to the Continental
Drift Theory.
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d
MATERIALS:
- illustration board
- bond paper

d
- colored pencil
- pair of scissors
- ruler
Split and Separate 7

PROCEDURE

FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH

Using a colored pencil,

Cut the bond paper in
draw stripes across one Write the word “Start” Take the board paper
Fold the bond paper in half along the dashed
sheet of bond paper at the top of both and make three 11-cm
half lengthwise. line to form two
parallel to the short halves of the paper. long slits.
strips.
sides of the paper.
Split and Separate 8

PROCEDURE

SIXTH SEVENTH EIGHTH NINETH TENTH

The two slits near the Insert the ends of the Practice pulling up the
Put the two striped Insert the strips up strips into the side
edges of the bond strips through the slits
strips of paper together through the center slit, slits. Pull the ends of
paper should be both until you can make the
so that the “start” then pull them toward the strips and watch
11-cm from the center stripes come up and go
labels touch one the side slits. what happens at the
slit. down at the same time.
another. center slit.
 9

QUESTIONS

I. II. III. IV. V. IV.

i. What do the stripes in ii. What does the middle iii. What is the role of the mid- iv. How does the new v. What processes vi. Is the earth
the paper represent? slit represent? What ocean ridge in the movement seafloor form at the mid- happen at the side getting larger and
of lithospheric plates?
occurs in this region?? ocean ridge? slits? wider when plates
drift away from
each other?
I.

The stripes in the paper represent the rocks with

normal and reverse polarity. As we all might know,
the earth is a giant magnet, and it has two magnetic
poles, namely North and South Pole, which flips
periodically. When magma flows out of the mid-
ocean ridge and solidifies into a rock, different from
the other rocks discovered before, or becomes the
new seafloor, there’s little magnetic minerals in the
lava inclined and preserved with the earth’s
magnetic field at that time. The reason why there
are only 2 shades or colors in the stripes of the
paper is because there are only two magnetic
anomalies.
Split and Separate 11
 I.

This pattern is impossible to explain if

seafloor spreading didn’t or doesn’t
happen over geologic time, and the earth’s
magnetic field did not flip back and forth.
 13

QUESTIONS

I. II. III. IV. V. IV.

i. What do the stripes in ii. What does the middle iii. What is the role of the mid- iv. How does the new v. What processes vi. Is the earth
the paper represent? slit represent? What ocean ridge in the movement seafloor form at the mid- happen at the side getting larger and
of lithospheric plates?
occurs in this region?? ocean ridge? slits? wider when plates
drift away from
each other?
 14

II.
• The middle slit represent the mid-ocean • This is where magma flows out from
ridge, a seafloor mountain range formed which solidifies, turning into a rock or the
by plate tectonics. new seafloor.
 15

QUESTIONS

I. II. III. IV. V. IV.

i. What do the stripes in ii. What does the middle iii. What is the role of the mid- iv. How does the new v. What processes vi. Is the earth
the paper represent? slit represent? What ocean ridge in the movement seafloor form at the mid- happen at the side getting larger and
of lithospheric plates?
occurs in this region?? ocean ridge? slits? wider when plates
drift away from
each other?
Split and Separate 16

III.
According to the Plate Tectonic Theory, the mid-ocean ridge is where the
tectonic plates or lithospheric plates move apart and a new crust, formed
from the solidified magma, pushes up from the mantle, thus creating a
new lithosphere to replace the old materials moving away.
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QUESTIONS

I. II. III. IV. V. IV.

i. What do the stripes in ii. What does the middle iii. What is the role of the mid- iv. How does the new v. What processes vi. Is the earth
the paper represent? slit represent? What ocean ridge in the movement seafloor form at the mid- happen at the side getting larger and
of lithospheric plates?
occurs in this region?? ocean ridge? slits? wider when plates
drift away from
each other?
IV.
A new seafloor forms when the magma that
flows out from the mid-ocean ridge solidifies
and turns into a rock that becomes the new
oceanic crust
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QUESTIONS

I. II. III. IV. V. IV.

i. What do the stripes in ii. What does the middle iii. What is the role of the mid- iv. How does the new v. What processes vi. Is the earth
the paper represent? slit represent? What ocean ridge in the movement seafloor form at the mid- happen at the side getting larger and
of lithospheric plates?
occurs in this region?? ocean ridge? slits? wider when plates
drift away from
each other?
 20

V.
Diffraction. Diffraction is the bending and spreading out of waves as
they pass through narrow openings or around obstacles. When
magnetic fields pass through the side slits, they can undergo
diffraction, resulting in changes to the pattern and distribution of the
magnetic field.
 21

QUESTIONS

I. II. III. IV. V. IV.

i. What do the stripes in ii. What does the middle iii. What is the role of the mid- iv. How does the new v. What processes vi. Is the earth
the paper represent? slit represent? What ocean ridge in the movement seafloor form at the mid- happen at the side getting larger and
of lithospheric plates?
occurs in this region?? ocean ridge? slits? wider when plates
drift away from
each other?
VI.
The answer is no. When plates tectonics moves
or drift away from each other, the continental
plates slide over the top of the more dense
oceanic plates, subducting down or be sunk
down into the mantle causing the earth to
maintain its original size.