Did drilling into the seafloor contribute further proof of seafloor spreading? If so, how? (E)

Seafloor spreading is a process in which new oceanic crust is formed at the mid-ocean ridges and then moves away from the ridge, making room for new crust to form. This movement is caused by the motion of tectonic plates. As the seafloor spreads, it carries evidence for the earth's magnetic field reversals and the age of the oceanic crust.

The Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) was an international research project that aimed to study the composition and structure of the oceanic crust by drilling into it. This project drilled numerous boreholes in the ocean floor and collected rock samples called cores for analysis.

Drilling into the seafloor has provided several significant pieces of evidence for seafloor spreading: 1. Age of the oceanic crust: Scientists found that the age of the oceanic crust increases with distance from the mid-ocean ridges. This is consistent with the idea that new crust is formed at the ridge and then moves away from it, becoming older in the process. 2. Magnetic field reversals: The Earth's magnetic field has reversed polarity numerous times in its history. The record of these reversals is preserved in the oceanic crust, as magnetic minerals in the newly formed rocks align with the prevailing magnetic field. By studying the pattern of magnetic field reversals in the rock samples from DSDP boreholes, scientists were able to confirm that the seafloor was spreading symmetrically from the mid-ocean ridges. 3. Sediment thickness: The thickness of sediments on top of the oceanic crust increases with distance from the mid-ocean ridges. This is because older crust has had more time to accumulate sediments, while newer crust has a thinner layer due to less time for sediment deposition. This observation supports the theory of seafloor spreading, as the age of the oceanic crust increases away from the ridges. In conclusion, drilling into the seafloor has indeed contributed further proof of seafloor spreading, by providing evidence for the age of the oceanic crust, the record of magnetic field reversals, and the increase in sediment thickness with distance from the mid-ocean ridges.