What did the Glomar Challenger discover about the age of rocks?

Study for the Aquatic Science Plate Tectonics Test. Explore comprehensive flashcards and multiple-choice questions, each accompanied by insights and explanations. Prepare effectively for your exam!

The Glomar Challenger was a key research vessel that conducted deep-sea drilling in the 1960s and played a pivotal role in advancing our understanding of the ocean floor and plate tectonics. One of its significant discoveries was that the age of oceanic rocks increases with distance from mid-ocean ridges.

As new magma emerges from the Earth's mantle at these ridges, it solidifies to form new oceanic crust, which is relatively young. Over time, as tectonic plates move apart, this newly formed rock is pushed away from the ridge, resulting in older rocks being found at greater distances from the ridge. This pattern supports the theory of sea-floor spreading, illustrating that the ocean floor is continually being created at the ridges and is progressively aged as it moves away from those zones of activity.

Thus, the correct assertion is that rocks are older the further you get from the ridge, reflecting the geological processes of plate tectonics that were confirmed by the findings of the Glomar Challenger.

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