What can scientists learn from magnetic striping patterns? Select the three correct answers.(2 points)
Responses
the speed of one plate as it subducts below another plate
the speed of one plate as it subducts below another plate
the cause of magnetic pole reversals
the cause of magnetic pole reversals
the exact location of the next earthquake along the California coast
the exact location of the next earthquake along the California coast
the direction plates are moving relative to each other
the direction plates are moving relative to each other
the year the next magnetic reversal will take place
the year the next magnetic reversal will take place
the location of ancient faults caused by seismic activity.
Magnetic striping patterns on the ocean floor provide scientists with crucial information about the geologic history of Earth's tectonic plates and the geomagnetic field. Here are three correct things that can be learned from these patterns:
1. the direction plates are moving relative to each other - Magnetic striping shows the symmetrical patterns of magnetized rocks on either side of mid-ocean ridges, allowing scientists to infer the direction of plate movements over geologic time.
2. the location of ancient faults caused by seismic activity - The magnetic stripes can indicate the presence of faults and help map the history of seafloor spreading, which is often associated with tectonic activity including earthquakes.
3. the speed of one plate as it subducts below another plate - By examining the age of the rocks correlated with the magnetic striping and measuring the distance from the mid-ocean ridges where new rock is formed, scientists can estimate the rates at which tectonic plates have spread apart.
The cause of magnetic pole reversals is still not completely understood, so magnetic striping patterns don't definitively explain the cause, even though they record when reversals occurred. Predicting the exact location of the next earthquake along the California coast is beyond the scope of magnetic striping data. Magnetic striping patterns cannot be used to predict the year when the next magnetic reversal will take place, as these reversals do not occur at regular intervals and are not fully understood from a predictive standpoint.