Module 01 Seafloor Spreading and Uniformitarianism Lab
1) How long has it been since Africa and North America were adjacent to each other?
--> Let's convert cm to km
3 cm= 3/100000 km = 0.00003 km.
So, 0.00003 km spreading occurs in 1 year
Therefore, 6000 km spreading occurs in
(1/0.00003) x 6000 = 200000000 years = 200 x 10
6
years = 200 million years
2) How far apart have Africa and North America moved since you were born?
DOB- 1999
2023 – 1999 = 24
So, in 1 year, spreading occurs 3 cm.
In 24 years, spreading occurs (24 x 3) =72 cm.
Hence, since I was born Africa & North America have moved approximately 72 cm far apart.
3)
What assumption did you make in order to complete these calculations? Why did you make
this assumption?
I assumed that the above-mentioned procedure happened continuously across the whole
geologic record. I made this assumption because, in the absence of a constant velocity rate, I
could not explain the distance covered by two motherlands in the distant past when there was
no way for mankind to know how fast they were moving.
