seafloor spreading

seafloor spreading

See also: sea-floor spreading

English

Alternative forms

• sea-floor spreading

Noun

seafloor spreading (usually uncountable, plural seafloor spreadings)

1. (geology) The outward movement of the seafloor from central underwater ridges as a result of plate tectonics; the major cause of continental drift.
   • 2004, Richard Fortey, The Earth, Folio Society 2011, p. 143:

     However, the recognition of sea-floor spreading made sense of continental splitting without having to invoke earth expansion.

Translations

outward movement of the seafloor

Danish: oceanbundsspredning c French: expansion des fonds océaniques f German: Ozeanbodenspreizung f Norwegian: Bokmål: havbunnsspredning m or f Nynorsk: havbotnspreiing f Swedish: havsbottenspridning (sv) c, oceanbottenspridning c

Further reading

• seafloor spreading on Wikipedia.Wikipedia