Magnetic Ocean Floor Patterns

Among the new findings was the discovery of zebra stripe like magnetic patterns for the rocks of the ocean floor.

Magnetic ocean floor patterns.

When the earth s magnetic field reverses a new stripe with the new polarity begins. These patterns of stripes provide the history of seafloor spreading. The dynamic ocean floor 20. The figure below includes two images of the ocean floor.

This creates a symmetrical pattern of magnetic stripes of opposite polarity on either side of mid ocean ridges. Ocean floor pattern plotting learning objectives. At the mid ocean ridge spreading axis these flips in the direction of the earth s magnetic field are recorded in the magnetization of the lava. Such magnetic patterns led to recognition of the occurrence of sea floor spreading and they remain some of the strongest evidence for the theory of plate tectonics.

Mapping of variation over an area is valuable in detecting structures obscured by overlying material. The earth s magnetic field has flipped the n pole becoming the s pole and vice versa many times over geological time. As tectonic plates move apart new rock is formed and locks in the direction of the magnetic field at the time timing. Magnetic stripes and isotopic clocks oceanographic exploration in the 1950s led to a much better understanding of the ocean floor.

Based on the pattern of magnetic reversals ex hibited in figure 6 does it appear as though an other polarity reversal will occur in the near future paleomagnetism and seafloor spreading the pattern of magnetic polarity reversals shown in figure 6 has been found in rocks of all the major ocean basins.