Magnetic Ocean Floor Patterns

Mapping of variation over an area is valuable in detecting structures obscured by overlying material.

Magnetic ocean floor patterns. This creates a symmetrical pattern of magnetic stripes of opposite polarity on either side of mid ocean ridges. 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. Among the new findings was the discovery of zebra stripe like magnetic patterns for the rocks of the ocean floor. These patterns of stripes provide the history of seafloor spreading.

As tectonic plates move apart new rock is formed and locks in the direction of the magnetic field at the time timing. The earth s magnetic field has flipped the n pole becoming the s pole and vice versa many times over geological time. Ocean floor pattern plotting learning objectives. When the earth s magnetic field reverses a new stripe with the new polarity begins.

These patterns were unlike any seen for continental rocks. The figure below includes two images of the ocean floor. 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.

In geophysics a magnetic anomaly is a local variation in the earth s magnetic field resulting from variations in the chemistry or magnetism of the rocks.