Whose research first linked sea-floor spreading to earthquakes and volcanoes?
Quick Answer
Harry Hess is the scientist most closely associated with sea-floor spreading, proposed in the early 1960s. His idea explained how new ocean crust forms at mid-ocean ridges and moves outward.
The Full Story
Harry Hess proposed sea-floor spreading in the early 1960s, offering a major mechanism for plate tectonics. He suggested that molten material rises at mid-ocean ridges, creating new crust that moves away as the ocean floor expands. This helped explain why earthquakes, volcanic activity, and magnetic stripes are concentrated along ocean ridges. Hess’s idea was crucial in shifting geology toward the modern plate tectonic model. It also helped explain why ocean crust is younger near ridges and older farther away.
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