Magnetic Striping Of Ocean Floor Gives Relative Ages

It is called a geomagnetic reversal.

Magnetic striping of ocean floor gives relative ages.

Discovery of magnetic striping on ocean floor. Scientists can determine the age of the seafloor by examining the changing magnetic field of our planet. More important because the presence of magnetite gives the basalt measurable magnetic properties these newly discovered magnetic variations provided another means to study the deep ocean floor. The models show a ridge a about 5 million years ago b about 2 to 3 million years ago and c in the present.

The survey data was used to create three dimensional relief maps of the ocean floor and by 1953 american oceanic cartographer marie tharp had created the first of several maps that revealed the presence of an underwater mountain range. New oceanic crust is magnetized as it forms and then it moves away from the ridge in both directions. Paleomagnetism or palaeomagnetism in the united kingdom is the study of the record of the. Navy and the scripps institution of oceanography tows the first marine magnetometer and finds magnetic striping on the seafloor off the west coast.

1960s defined the driving forces of plate tectonics. Tectonicus from the ancient greek. Shortly after the conclusion of world war ii sonar equipped vessels crisscrossed the oceans collecting ocean depth profiles of the seafloor beneath them. They also measured the magnetic orientation of these same rocks allowing them to assign ages to the earth s recent magnetic reversals.

This has happened many times throughout earth s history. Magnetic stripes are the result of reversals of the earth s field and seafloor spreading. Coast and geodetic survey ship pioneer in a joint project with the u s. Pertaining to building is a scientific theory describing the large scale motion of seven large plates and the movements of a larger number of smaller plates of earth s lithosphere since tectonic processes began on earth between 3 3 and 3 5 billion years ago.

In 1966 vine and matthews and also morley working independently compared these known ages of magnetic reversals with the magnetic striping pattern found on the ocean floor. Every once in a while the currents in the liquid core which create the earth s magnetic field reverse themselves. This distortion was recognized by icelandic mariners as early as the late 18th century. Plate tectonics from the late latin.

1953 marie tharpe recognizes mid ocean ridge spreading. 1962 harry hess names spreading ridges 1963 magnetic striping of ocean floor gives relative ages. The discovery adds a key element to the theory of plate tectonics.