sea-floor spreading (s  flôr , -fl r)n. In the theory of plate tectonics, the process by which new oceanic crust is formed by the convective upwelling of magma at mid-ocean ridges, resulting in the continuous lateral displacement of existing oceanic crust. |
sea-floor spreading [ˈsiːˌflɔː]
n
(Earth Sciences / Geological Science) a series of processes in which new oceanic lithosphere is created at oceanic ridges, spreads away from the ridges, and returns to the earth's interior along subduction zones Also called ocean floor spreading
| sea-floor spreading In the theory of plate tectonics, the process by which new oceanic crust is formed by the convective upwelling of magma at mid-ocean ridges, resulting in the continuous lateral displacement of existing oceanic crust. See more at magnetic reversal. |
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