How can seafloor spreading explain the continental drift?

Continental Drift and Seafloor Spreading The Keys to Modern Earth and Oceanographic Sciences Until only recently, geologists had thought that Earth's surface hadn't changed much since the planet formed 4. read more

Seafloor spreading is caused by two plates moving apart. This is caused by plate tectonics. Continental drift is also caused by plate tectonics. Therefore, we can conclude that continental drift is related to seafloor spreading. When the plates move, it carries the continents with it, and thus the continents drift away from each other. read more

In 1965, a Canadian geophysicist, J. Tuzo Wilson, combined the continental drift and seafloor spreading hypotheses to propose the theory of plate tectonics. Tuzo said that Earth’s crust, or lithosphere, was divided into large, rigid pieces called plates. These plates “float” atop an underlying rock layer called the asthenosphere. read more

The conveyor belt of seafloor spreading carries the continents, which are lighter and thus buoyant and float on the denser oceanic crust that is being created at mid-oceanic ridges. The theory of plate tectonics rests on this model of continental drift that results from seafloor spreading. read more