Who proposed the idea of sea floor spreading?

The idea of sea floor spreading was proposed by Harry Hess in the early 1960s. He suggested that new oceanic crust is created at mid-ocean ridges and that this new crust gradually moves outward from the ridge as tectonic plates shift. This concept was pivotal in understanding the mechanism behind plate tectonics, providing insight into how continents drift apart and the ocean basins expand.

Hess's work built upon the initial observations of ocean floor topography and the discovery of mid-ocean ridges, enhancing the understanding of geological processes in the ocean. He argued that as the sea floor spreads at these ridges, it accounts for the movement of tectonic plates, ultimately leading to phenomena such as earthquakes and volcanic activity associated with plate boundaries. This theory was instrumental in establishing the modern understanding of plate tectonics, making it a foundational concept in geology and earth sciences.