How does the age of seafloor sediments change with increasing distance from the ocean ridge?

The age of seafloor sediments increases with increasing distance from the ocean ridge due to the process of seafloor spreading. At mid-ocean ridges, where tectonic plates are diverging, new oceanic crust is formed by volcanic activity. As this new crust cools, it creates fresh seafloor that accumulates sediments over time.

As the tectonic plates continue to move apart, older parts of the seafloor are pushed away from the ridge, while new material is continuously generated at the ridge itself. Consequently, the sediments deposited on the ocean floor will be younger closer to the ridge and progressively older as you move farther away from it. This pattern reflects a consistent geological process: the youngest sediments lie directly atop the newest crust formed at the ridges, while older sediments are found further along from these areas.

This principle is fundamental in geology and helps scientists understand plate tectonics, seafloor spreading, and the geological history of the Earth’s ocean floors.