ESS200A
Prof. Jin-Yi Yu
The Theory of Plate Tectonics
q A major problem of the continent drifting theory is: How could the continents drift through the rigid sea floor?
q This
problem is answered by the seafloor spreading
hypothesis: Continents do not plow through
the sea floor. Continents and segments of ocean floor are connected into plates that continuously move away from one
another at mid-ocean ridges.