Seafloor Spreading Worksheet

Explore the process of seafloor spreading, its evidence, and its role in plate tectonics for Grade 11 science students.

Grade 11 Science Earth & Space ScienceSeafloor Spreading

Use This Worksheet

Includes

TextFill in the BlanksMultiple ChoiceShort AnswerTrue / False

Standards

HS-ESS2-3HS-ESS1-5

Topics

seafloor spreadingplate tectonicsgeologyearth science

7 sections · Free to use · Printable

Seafloor Spreading: An Earth's Dynamic Process

Name:

Date:

Score:

Read each question carefully and provide your best answer. Some questions may require critical thinking and analysis of the provided diagram.

Observe the diagram below illustrating the process of seafloor spreading.

1. Seafloor spreading occurs at , where new oceanic crust is formed.

2. The theory of seafloor spreading was proposed by in the 1960s.

3. As new crust is generated, older crust is pushed away from the ridge in a process called .

4. Which of the following provides evidence for seafloor spreading?

The presence of deep ocean trenches far from mid-ocean ridges.

The symmetrical pattern of magnetic stripes on either side of mid-ocean ridges.

The uniform age of oceanic crust across the entire ocean basin.

The absence of volcanic activity along mid-ocean ridges.

5. What is the primary driving force behind seafloor spreading?

Gravitational pull of the Moon

Convection currents in the Earth's mantle

The rotation of the Earth

Solar radiation

6. Describe the process of seafloor spreading and its relationship to mid-ocean ridges. (Refer to the provided diagram)

7. Explain how the age of oceanic crust changes with increasing distance from a mid-ocean ridge. What evidence supports this observation?

8. Subduction zones are areas where new oceanic crust is created.

True

False

9. Magnetic reversals recorded in oceanic crust provide strong evidence for seafloor spreading.

True

False