This is caused by the continental drift.
Is the atlantic ocean floor getting bigger or smaller why.
The atlantic ocean is getting bigger and we didn t even realise.
The continental drift is the movement of the continents.
It separates the old world from the new world the atlantic ocean occupies an elongated s shaped basin extending longitudinally between europe and africa to the east.
If the atlantic ocean floor is getting wider why is the earth not becoming larger.
The second largest ocean on earth the atlantic drives our weather patterns including hurricanes and is home to many species from sea turtles to dolphins.
The atlantic ocean is getting bigger and the pacific ocean is getting smaller.
Fresher waters in the upper part of the ocean and warmer atlantic originating waters down below.
The atlantic ocean is the second largest of the world s oceans with an area of about 106 460 000 km 2 41 100 000 sq mi.
The atlantic ocean is gradually getting bigger because of the sea floor spreading that is happening.
Sea floor spreading is the process in which new oceanic lithosphere is made.
The atlantic is getting bigger the pacific smaller.
And this mostly.
Bathymetry the shape of the ocean floor is largely a result of a process called plate tectonics the outer rocky layer of the earth includes about a dozen large sections called tectonic plates that are arranged like a spherical jig saw puzzle floating on top of the earth s hot flowing mantle.
It covers approximately 20 percent of earth s surface and about 29 percent of its water surface area.
A actually the atlantic ocean floor is not getting wider b old ocean floor sinks at subduction zones trenches c it is becoming denser so it takes up no more space d it becomes part of the edge of the adjacent continent e it melts at oceanic transform faults.
This situation which obtains in much of the arctic was reinforced by the fact that freshwater is less dense than salt water preserving stratification.
Plate tectonics and the ocean floor.
Seafloor spreading occurs along mid ocean ridges large mountain ranges rising from the ocean floor.