Question

The seafloor spreads in opposite directions as magma forces its way upward. Geologists have observed matching, reversed magnetic bands on both sides of this ridge. Which is the best explanation of these matching, reversed bands?

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

The best explanation for these matching, reversed magnetic bands is the process of seafloor spreading and the phenomenon of magnetic polarity reversal. As magma rises to the surface and solidifies into new crust at mid-ocean ridges, iron-rich minerals in the magma align with Earth's magnetic field at the time of formation, locking in the magnetic polarity of the newly-formed rock. Over time, Earth's magnetic field undergoes periodic reversals, causing the magnetic polarity of the rocks on either side of the ridge to switch. This results in alternating bands of normal polarity and reversed polarity rock on either side of the mid-ocean ridge, with matching patterns on both sides due to the symmetric spreading of the seafloor.