Sea Floor Spreading Model 

distance from center in km

   Drag green dot with mouse and then click on find distance. See assignment below.

 a) Graph the age of the sea floor on the Y-axis against the distance from the ridge (on the X-axis).  From this graph determine the spreading rate for each geologic interval represented, averaging the two values determined for eastward and westward spreading.  Graph these spreading rates (Y-axis) as a function of time (in millions of years, on the X-axis).

b) How has the Atlantic spreading rate varied over the last 200 million years?

(from "The Earth System by, Kump, Kasting, and Crane , Prentice Hall, 1999)