Why does the Mid- Atlantic ridge contain symmetrical patterns?
It shows geomagnetic variations or polar wondering, as new magma at a spreading zone cools the minerals orientate themselves to the direction of the magnetic north at the time and over time the magnetic pole is seen to reverse from north to south indicated in the rocks. These variations have been observed across the sea floor in a symmetrical sequence either side of a sea floor spreading zone, showing that the sea floor is spreading as when the magma cools it is split and pushed outwards both ways by new magma rising in-between solidified magma at a sea floor spreading zone.
