How has the history of plate movement been captured in residual magnetic fields?

The history of plate movement has been captured in residual magnetic fields through the process of seafloor spreading. As new oceanic crust forms at mid-ocean ridges, volcanic rocks record the orientation of Earth's magnetic field at the time the rock solidified. This creates a pattern of magnetic stripes on the seafloor that mirror past changes in the Earth's magnetic field and provide evidence for the movement of tectonic plates over time.