 D. H. Matthews

D. H. Matthews and F. J. Vine proposed an explanation of marine magnetic anomalies that combines seafloor spreading with reversals of the geomagnetic field. Newly formed magnetized material moves away from a ridge, preserving a sequence of polarities.^[ref]

The proposal turned magnetic profiles into a test of ocean-floor motion. The measured field also depends on source geometry and observation height, so it is not simply a local polarity reading.