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, published 2011, page 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