The highest known rate is over 200 mm yr in the miocene on the east pacific rise.
The rate of spreadding of the atlantic sea floor.
Determine the rate of seafloor spreading for the pacific and north atlantic ocean basins.
It spreads about 6 16 centimeters 3 6 inches every year.
Ranges of spreading throughout the world s oceans.
This means that north america and europe are moving away from each other at about the rate it takes for your fingernails to grow.
For example here is the calculation for the south atlantic.
The highest known rate is over 200 mm yr in the miocene on the east pacific rise.
Intermediate ridges have a spreading rate of 40 90 mm year while slow spreading ridges have a rate less than 40 mm year.
The dates revealed that the atlantic ocean was opening by seafloor spreading from the mid atlantic ridge at a rate of about 0 02 metres per year.
Ages for ocean floor between the oldest identified magnetic anomalies and continental crust are interpolated by geological estimates of the ages of passive continental margin segments.
Ridges that spread at rates 20 mm yr are referred to as ultraslow spreading ridges 3 13 e g the gakkel ridge in the arctic ocean and the southwest indian ridge.
Use the above equation to calculate spreading rate.
We have used our echo sounding data discussed in a previous expedition to make the profile of the mid atlantic ridge along the seafloor shown below.
Measure from the center of the spreading center to a known age point on the plate rather than from 65 ma on the eastern plate to 65 ma on the western plate.
The east pacific rise on the other hand is a fast spreading center.
The mid atlantic ridge for instance is a slow spreading center.
1cm yr to 10 cm yr.
Seafloor spreading rates are much more rapid in the pacific ocean than in the atlantic and indian oceans.
Distance x100 000 cm km rate of spreading 2.
Remember rate of motion e g.
R d t or r 9 5 10 7 cm 6 5 10 7 years 1 46 cm yr.
The age spreading rate and asymmetry at each grid node are determined by linear interpolation between adjacent seafloor isochrons in the direction of spreading.
The spreading rate of the north atlantic ocean is 25 mm yr while in the pacific region it is 80 145 mm yr.
It spreads 2 5 centimeters 8 2 inches every year and forms an ocean trench about the size of the grand canyon.
