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Lesson 6 - Plate Tectonics - Evidence
Lesson 6 - Plate Tectonics - Evidence
Rock magnetism
Certain minerals are magnetic
(e.g., magnetite, iron)
Geomagnetic reversals
Earth’s magnetic field “reverses”
deep ocean trenches are locations where oceanic crust dives back
into planet
Evidence For Plate Tectonics
3) Ocean Drilling
Drill core samples of the ocean floor and sediments on the ocean
floor were collected with increasing distance from ocean ridges.
When the oldest sediment from each drill site was plotted against
the distance from the ocean ridge, it was noted that the age of the
sediment increased with increasing distance from the ridge.
This evidence also confirmed the idea that the ocean basins are
relatively young, because no sediment older than 160 million
years was found. Continents were dated to be 4.6 billion years.
Evidence For Plate Tectonics
4) Hot Spots
Mapping of the seafloor in the Pacific revealed a chain of volcanoes
and seamounts that extend from the Hawaiian Islands to the
Midway Islands and continue north to the Aleutian trench of the
coast of Alaska.
Scientist proposed that a plume of magma presently exist beneath
Hawaii and the Pacific plate moved over this stationary magma
chamber. This confirmed that the tectonic plates do move in
relation to earth’s interior thereby supporting the theory of Plate
Tectonics.