Do the data for the rates of plate motion for different ocean basins support or refute the hypothesis that they enable determination of the age of the ocean basin?
(A strong answer will consider the relationship between spreading rates of mid-ocean ridges in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and the progressive growth of each ocean basin. Comparison of the fate of ocean crust in the different ocean basins should also be considered to help determine whether the rates of plate motion directly support the hypothesis, or what factors can constrain this possibility.)
Yes. The ocean spreading rates can help determine the age of the ocean. The older the oceanic crust, the denser it is and the lower it goes. Since the main mechanism of seafloor spreading is slab pull (i.e. force due to subducting oceanic crust), the denser crust will subduct faster, causing a higher spreading rate at the mid-ocean ridge. This is why the young Atlantic Ocean which has relatively more buoyant oceanic crust and does not subduct has a low spreading rate of approximately 25mm/yr, while the East Pacific Ridge has a spreading rate of around 200mm/yr.
Thus, the older the oceanic crust, the higher the spreading rate.
Do the data for the rates of plate motion for different ocean basins support or refute...
Describe the rates and directions of the plate motion at these four sets of locations of seafloor spreading/subduction (southern East Pacific Rise/Tonga, Antarctic-Indian Ridge/Java, East Pacific Rise/Japan, and mid-Atlantic Ridge/Caribbean)