Here's why:
* Seafloor Spreading: Mid-ocean ridges are where new oceanic crust is formed. As magma rises from the mantle and cools, it becomes magnetized in the direction of Earth's magnetic field at that time.
* Magnetic Reversals: Earth's magnetic field flips periodically, meaning the north and south poles switch places. This happens over thousands of years.
* Stripes: As new crust forms, it records the magnetic field at that time. When the magnetic field reverses, the newly formed crust will have a reversed magnetization. This creates alternating bands of normal and reversed magnetization along the seafloor, running parallel to the mid-ocean ridge.
* Zebra Crossing: The pattern of these alternating bands resembles the stripes of a zebra crossing, with dark stripes representing normal magnetization and light stripes representing reversed magnetization.
This pattern is a powerful piece of evidence for the theory of plate tectonics and seafloor spreading.
