Seafloor Spreading Theory Harry Hess

The existence of these three types of large striking seafloor features demanded a global rather than local tectonic explanation.

Seafloor spreading theory harry hess.

With the discovery of plate tectonics and the mapping of the earth. Harry hess published the history of ocean basins in 1962 outlining a theory of how tectonic plates can move which was later called sea floor spreading. After the war he remained active in the naval reserve reaching the rank of rear admiral. Harry hammond hess may 24 1906 august 25 1969 was an american geologist and a united states navy officer in world war ii who is considered one of the founding fathers of the unifying theory of plate tectonics he is best known for his theories on sea floor spreading specifically work on relationships between island arcs seafloor gravity anomalies and serpentinized peridotite.

His theory followed that magma from the mantle could ooze up at mid oceanic rides and cool thereby expanding and pushing the plates on either side of the ridge away from it. Hess proposes sea floor spreading 1960. He identified the presence of mid ocean ridges and that ocean trenches are where ocean floor is destroyed and recycled. Hess of the united states in a widely circulated manuscript written in 1960 but not formally published for several years.

On the basis of tharp s efforts and other new discoveries about the deep ocean floor hess postulated that molten material from earth s mantle continuously wells up along the crests of the mid ocean ridges that wind for nearly 80 000 km. Following this new scientific buzz harry hess a united states navy officer who served in world war ii and geologist introduced his own theory of seafloor spreading. In the early 1 9 6 0 s dating of ocean core samples showed that the ocean floor was younger at the mid a tlantic ridge but progressiv ely older in either dire ction confirming the reality of seaflo or spreading. The first comprehensive attempt at such an explanation was made by harry h.

The seafloor spreading hypothesis was proposed by the american geophysicist harry h. Harry hess 1906 1969 in his navy uniform as captain of the assault transport cape johnson during world war ii. Harry hess argues that the continents had once been one and have drifted apart.