What formation is created in the rift of a spreading sea floor?

The phenomenon is known today as plate tectonics. In locations where two plates move apart, at mid-ocean ridges, new seafloor is continually formed during seafloor spreading.

What is formed when sea floor spreads?

Keeping Earth in Shape

At subduction zones, the edge of the denser plate subducts, or slides, beneath the less-dense one. The denser lithospheric material then melts back into the Earth’s mantle. Seafloor spreading creates new crust.

How does seafloor spreading cause rift valleys?

As tectonic plates move away from one another at mid-ocean ridges, molten rock from the mantle may well up and harden as it contacts the frigid sea, forming new oceanic crust at the bottom of the rift valley.

Where does sea floor spreading occur?

the mid-oceanic ridge

Sea-floor spreading is what happens at the mid-oceanic ridge where a divergent boundary is causing two plates to move away from one another resulting in spreading of the sea floor. As the plates move apart, new material wells up and cools onto the edge of the plates.

How is new ocean floor and oceanic crust formed?

This process occurs when oceanic crust is pushed back into the mantle at subduction zones. As old oceanic crust is subducted and melted into magma, new oceanic crust in the form of igneous rock is formed at mid-ocean ridges and volcanic hotspots.

How is new crust formed at the bottom of the Atlantic ocean?

New oceanic crust is formed when the seafloor spreads as hot molten rock (magma) wells up into the rifts of the mid ocean ridge.