GEOL 102 Lecture 5: Geology102Lecture5Notes
Document Summary
Very little was known about the deep sea at the time. Royal society of london obtained and converted a royal navy ship. Permanence theory- continents existed in generally their current shapes and positions since their initial formation. Proposed mechanism had continental crust shoving through oceanic crust. Compared the physical geology of the continental margins. Belief the ocean floor was mostly featureless. Extensive mapping using radar occurred during and after wwii. Made meticulous maps of the atlantic ocean floor during wwii. There is a deep furrow along the crest of each ridge. Ridges experience high upward heat flow from the mantle. Seismic waves travel through ridges as low velocities. Oceanic crust seemed to be much younger than continental crust. The entire crust is moving, not just the continents. Motion is driven by convection currents in the mantle. The furrow is the site where new crust is forming and flowing in opposite directions.
