Asked by brent

Which discovery did scientists make at mid-ocean ridges that caused them to conclude that new rock was being formed by molten material?

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
They found symmetrical patterns of magnetic stripes (alternating normal and reversed magnetic polarity) in the basalt on either side of mid‑ocean ridges.
This showed that molten rock was erupting at the ridge, cooling and recording Earth's magnetic field, and that new crust was being added as the seafloor spread.