How do magnetic stripes show the history of Earth's magnetic field? A. As you move away from an ocean ridge, the rocks get older.
B. As you move away from a coast, the rocks get younger.
C. As you move down through the seafloor, rocks get older.
D. As you move eastward along a continent, rocks get older.

C. As you move down through the seafloor, rock get older

Explanation:

When scientists studied the magnetic properties of the seafloor, they discovered normal and reversed magnetic stripes with different widths. These magnetic patterns are parallel to the mid-ocean ridges and symmetrical on both sides. As rocks crystallize from lava at the ridges, they literally record the magnetic field of the Earth at the time of their creation.

These stripes of normal and reverse magnetic fields with different sizes can be matched with the geomagnetic reversals records obtained from continental rocks already dated: this is how scientists get the age of the seafloor

- decrease the number of plants and animals living in the water.