Answer:
Step-by-step explanation:
If Earth's magnetic field were fixed in place and the polarity didn't reverse, it would have a significant effect on our observations of seafloor basalts. Seafloor basalts are formed from magma that erupts at mid-ocean ridges and solidifies to create new oceanic crust. As the magma cools, the minerals within it become magnetized in the direction of Earth's magnetic field.
If the magnetic field were fixed and did not reverse, the magnetization of the minerals in the basalts would also be fixed and would not change over time. This means that the magnetization of the minerals in the basalts would be uniformly oriented in the same direction across the seafloor. In contrast, in the present day, Earth's magnetic field reverses polarity at irregular intervals, causing the magnetization of the basalts to flip and creating a pattern of alternating magnetic stripes on the seafloor.
Without the alternating magnetic stripes, it would be much more difficult to study the history of seafloor spreading and the movement of the Earth's tectonic plates. The alternating magnetic stripes provide a record of the Earth's magnetic field over time, which can be used to track the movement of the seafloor and the spreading of the mid-ocean ridges. Without these magnetic stripes, it would be much harder to reconstruct the history of plate tectonics and to understand the processes that have shaped the Earth's surface over millions of years.