Seafloor Spreading

Above: The Worlds Seafloor

Seafloor spreading (This is how the Mariana's Trench was formed)

Post the map and description of the following:

What is sea floor spreading?

occurs at mid-ocean ridges, where new oceanic crust is formed through volcanic activity and then gradually moves away from the ridge. Seafloor spreading helps explain continental drift in the theory of plate tectonics

What are some of the major land forms that are created from plate movement?

The seperation of land (ex. Pangaea into the 7 continents), trenches, mountains, canyons, and more.

How were the Mariana Islands formed?

constant vocanoe activities where the eruption cooled. Thosands of years in-the-making!

What evidence exists today that the plates are still moving and that the islands are ancient volcanoes?

Earthquakes and vocanoes, as well as the samples collected on atolls.

What is an atoll?

An atoll is an island of coral that encircles a lagoon partially or completely (sinking island)

Why are atolls mainly found on the Pacific?

Because of the ring of fire (many vocanoes in one area, gives a bigger chance of atolls), and most importantly, is because coral reefs grow survive on atolls, and in order to do so, they need warm water.