Seafloor Spreading Model

Students build a paper model to demonstrate how new ocean crust forms at mid-ocean ridges through seafloor spreading and is consumed at ocean trenches, helping visualize the cycle of crust creation and destruction.

1. Construct a seafloor spreading model as shown in the links.

Seafloor Spreading Tutorial - Earth Explained:

Demo: Seafloor Spreading Model - Jennifer Hartley:

📄 Seafloor Spreading - National Science Teachers Association: https://www.coventryschools.org/Downloads/Seafloor%20Spreading%20activity.pdf

• Create larger models with more color bands to show longer geological timescales.
• Use magnets or Velcro to attach strips so they can be reused.
• Compare the paper model with satellite images of actual mid-ocean ridges and trenches.

• Use caution with scissors to avoid cuts.
• Tape should be handled carefully to avoid sticking to surfaces unintentionally.

• What are the strengths of this model? (It clearly shows crust formation and destruction.) What are the weaknesses? (It oversimplifies the process and does not include mantle convection or actual rock properties.)
• What causes tectonic plates to be pulled apart? (Mantle convection and rising magma push plates away from the ridge.)
• What is happening to the Atlantic Ocean compared to the Pacific Ocean? (The Atlantic Ocean is widening due to seafloor spreading, while the Pacific Ocean is shrinking due to subduction at trenches.)