👤 whose
Whose work revealed magnetic stripes on the ocean floor?
Earth ScienceGeophysics
Quick Answer
Fred Vine and Drummond Matthews explained the magnetic striping of the seafloor in 1963. Their idea showed that Earth's magnetic field has reversed many times.
The Full Story
British geologist Frederick Vine and Canadian geophysicist Drummond Matthews proposed in 1963 that symmetrical magnetic stripes on the ocean floor recorded reversals of Earth's magnetic field. As new basalt cooled at mid-ocean ridges, it locked in the direction of the planet's magnetic field at that time. Matching stripes on either side of ridges were powerful evidence for seafloor spreading. Their work became one of the classic proofs of plate tectonics.
Key Facts
1.Magnetic-stripe hypothesis published in 1963
2.Earth's magnetic field has reversed repeatedly
3.The stripes are symmetrical around mid-ocean ridges
YouTube Angle
Suggested video title for this topic:
"The ocean floor keeps a magnetic diary of Earth’s ancient field reversals."