seafloor spreading
noun
: the divergence at mid-ocean ridges of the tectonic plates underlying the oceans that is due to upwelling from the earth's interior of magma which solidifies and adds to the spreading plates
Examples of seafloor spreading in a Sentence
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As the land splits apart, the Afar Depression will sink deeper and deeper, a process known as seafloor spreading.
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Ashley Stimpson, Popular Mechanics, 21 June 2023
The plan would take advantage of regions called subduction sinks, where sedimentary material is being drawn downward into the earth’s mantle as a consequence of seafloor spreading.
—Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2022
Dalton and her colleagues added to the picture by assembling a complementary high-resolution record for the Pacific Ocean, where seafloor spreading is faster and more complex.
—Paul Voosen, Science | AAAS, 22 Dec. 2020
Instead, they are forged through what Sager refers to as an augmented type of seafloor spreading.
—Robin George Andrews, National Geographic, 15 July 2019
Initially, scientists thought that no species, let alone a bustling community, could survive the scorching temperatures and crushing pressures of these sites, most of which are located about 7,000 feet below the ocean surface in areas of seafloor spreading.
—Discover Magazine, 29 June 2010
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Ashley Stimpson, Popular Mechanics, 21 June 2023
The plan would take advantage of regions called subduction sinks, where sedimentary material is being drawn downward into the earth’s mantle as a consequence of seafloor spreading.
—Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2022
Dalton and her colleagues added to the picture by assembling a complementary high-resolution record for the Pacific Ocean, where seafloor spreading is faster and more complex.
—Paul Voosen, Science | AAAS, 22 Dec. 2020
Instead, they are forged through what Sager refers to as an augmented type of seafloor spreading.
—Robin George Andrews, National Geographic, 15 July 2019
Initially, scientists thought that no species, let alone a bustling community, could survive the scorching temperatures and crushing pressures of these sites, most of which are located about 7,000 feet below the ocean surface in areas of seafloor spreading.
—Discover Magazine, 29 June 2010
Cite this Entry
“Seafloor spreading.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seafloor%20spreading. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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