Educational worksheet on seafloor spreading using maps and graphs to illustrate the age of oceanic crust.

Problem Overview:

The task involves analyzing a map and graph related to seafloor spreading. The goal is to understand how the age of ocean floor rocks provides evidence for seafloor spreading. The map shows the ages of rocks along lines extending from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and the graph plots the relationship between rock age (in millions of years) and distance from the ridge.

Solution Explanation:

#### Step 1: Understanding the Map
The map shows the North Atlantic Ocean with labeled ages of rocks in millions of years. Key observations:
- The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is the central line where new oceanic crust is formed.
- Rock ages increase as you move away from the ridge on both sides.
- Symmetrical patterns of rock ages are visible on either side of the ridge.

#### Step 2: Analyzing the Graph
The graph plots the relationship between the age of rocks (in millions of years) and their distance from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Key features:
- The x-axis represents the age of rocks (in millions of years).
- The y-axis represents the distance from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (in kilometers).
- The data points form a linear trend, indicating a direct relationship between rock age and distance from the ridge.

#### Step 3: Answering the Questions

1. What does this graph represent?
- The graph represents the relationship between the age of rocks (in millions of years) and their distance from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (in kilometers).

2. What does this information tell us about the age of rock as it gets further away from the mid-ocean ridge?
- As the distance from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge increases, the age of the rocks also increases. This indicates that newer rocks are formed at the ridge, and as they move away due to tectonic plate movement, they become older over time.

3. What do you notice about the banding on both sides of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge? How does this provide evidence for seafloor spreading?
- Observation of Banding:
- The map shows symmetrical bands of rock ages on either side of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
- These bands are color-coded to represent different age ranges, and the pattern is mirrored on both sides.
- Evidence for Seafloor Spreading:
- The symmetrical pattern of rock ages suggests that new crust is being formed at the ridge and is moving outward in both directions.
- The increasing age of rocks with distance from the ridge supports the idea that the ocean floor is expanding as new material is added at the ridge and older material moves away.

#### Conclusion:
The map and graph together provide strong evidence for seafloor spreading. The symmetrical pattern of rock ages and the linear relationship between rock age and distance from the ridge demonstrate that new crust is continuously forming at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and moving outward as the tectonic plates diverge.

Final Answer:

\[
\boxed{
\text{1. The graph represents the relationship between the age of rocks and their distance from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.}
\text{2. As the distance from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge increases, the age of the rocks also increases.}
\text{3. The symmetrical banding of rock ages on both sides of the ridge provides evidence for seafloor spreading, showing that new crust forms at the ridge and moves outward as the plates diverge.}
}
\]