Continental drift, sea-floor spreading, and plate tectonics have many similarities and differences. Continental drift is the theory that explains how the continents shift on Earth’s surface. Sea-floor spreading is the process where new sea-floor is created as molten material which rises in the from the Earth’s mantle. Plate tectonics is the theory at which the lithosphere is separated into different plates, and are moving along the asthenosphere. Continental drift, sea-floor spreading and plate tectonics all have similarities and differences. All three of these pieces are theories, which all incorporate or are supported by plate tectonics. Continental drift, sea-floor spreading and plate tectonics have different creators.
Continental drift, sea-floor spreading and plate tectonics are similar in many ways. One way that continental drift and plate tectonics similar is that they both deal with the movement of continents. Continental drift explains how the continents shift on Earth’s surface and how the continents are …show more content…
Sea-floor spreading is how new ocean floor is made, while continental drift is the theory of how the continents move around on Earth’s lithosphere. Harry Hess proposed the theory of sea-floor spreading, while Alfred Wegener proposed the idea of both continental drift and plate tectonics (Mathez 1). Plant and animal fossils show how continental drift occurred, while magnetic stips on the ocean floor show sea-floor spreading. Although both plate tectonics and sea-floor spreading create new landmasses, they are different types of landmasses. The movements of plate tectonics can cause earthquakes, mountains, volcanic eruptions, while sea-floor spreading creates new sea floor. Not many people believed in Wegener’s idea of continental drift when he first proposed it, while many people believed Hess’s idea of sea-floor spreading (Sant