How does Earth’s magnetic field provide evidence for seafloor spreading?

Question

It creates a pattern of alternating rock stripes on both sides of a mid-ocean ridge.
It allows scientists to determine the age of drilling samples.
It causes magma to harden quickly underwater.
It shows that younger rocks are located deeper underwater than older rocks.

Answer 1

The correct answer is: It creates a pattern of alternating rock stripes on both sides of a mid-ocean ridge.

This phenomenon is known as magnetic striping or magnetic anomalies. As magma rises at mid-ocean ridges and solidifies to form new oceanic crust, iron-rich minerals within the magma align themselves with Earth's magnetic field. When the Earth's magnetic field reverses, new magma that cools and solidifies also captures this new magnetic orientation. As a result, the ocean floor exhibits symmetrical patterns of alternating magnetic stripes on either side of the mid-ocean ridge, providing strong evidence for the process of seafloor spreading. This pattern indicates that new crust is continuously being formed and pushed outward from the ridge.