What Was Harry Hesss Theory

Hess envisaged that oceans grew from their centres, with molten material (basalt) oozing up from the Earth’s mantle along the mid ocean ridges. This created new seafloor which then spread away from the ridge in both directions.

What is Hess's theory of seafloor spreading?

The seafloor spreading hypothesis was proposed by the American geophysicist Harry H. Hess in 1960. … This spreading creates a successively younger ocean floor, and the flow of material is thought to bring about the migration, or drifting apart, of the continents.

What is Henry Hess known for?

Harry Hess was a geologist and Navy submarine commander during World War II. Part of his mission had been to study the deepest parts of the ocean floor. … After much thought, he proposed in 1960 that the movement of the continents was a result of sea-floor spreading.

Robert Thorne

Robert Thorne

Automotive & Future Transportation Editor

Robert Thorne covers electric vehicle innovations, autonomous driving systems, global mobility trends, and automotive engineering developments.

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