138747
AssignmentMultiple Choice

Characteristics of the Seafloor

Question 138747 • RMA FL-2001310-Earth/Space Science Semester 2

Wally is a planetologist in the future. He discovers a planet similar to Earth that has two major oceans. Ocean A is very large and looks like it has baseball stitches down its center. Ocean B is very small and has volcanoes all along one side. Wally needs to predict what the planet will look like far into the future. Which prediction would most likely come true?

Answer
A
Ocean A will shrink, and Ocean B will get bigger.
B
Ocean A will disappear, and Ocean B will remain the same.
C
Ocean A will get bigger, and Ocean B will shrink.
D
Both Ocean A and Ocean B will remain the same.

Explanation

The “baseball stitches” along Ocean A suggest a mid-ocean ridge, where new ocean floor forms and pushes the seafloor apart, so Ocean A is likely to get bigger. Volcanoes along one side of Ocean B suggest a subduction zone, where oceanic crust sinks beneath another plate; this consumes ocean floor, so Ocean B is likely to shrink. Therefore, the most likely prediction is that Ocean A will get bigger and Ocean B will shrink.

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