In the early part of the 20th century, scientists began to put together
evidence that the continents could move around on Earth’s surface
. The evidence for continental drift included the fit of the continents; the distribution of ancient fossils, rocks, and mountain ranges; and the locations of ancient climatic zones.
What is the theory of continental drift?
Alfred Wegener in Greenland. Plate tectonics is
the theory that Earth’s land masses are in constant motion
. The realization that Earth’s land masses move was first proposed by Alfred Wegener, which he called continental drift.
What evidence supports the theory of continental drift?
Fossil Evidence
One type of evidence that strongly supported the Theory of Continental Drift is
the fossil record
. Fossils of similar types of plants and animals in rocks of a similar age have been found on the shores of different continents, suggesting that the continents were once joined.
What is continental drift and what are the evidences Wegener used to support it?
Alfred Wegener, in the first three decades of this century, and DuToit in the 1920s and 1930s gathered evidence that the continents had moved. They based their idea of continental drift on several lines of evidence:
fit of the continents, paleoclimate indicators, truncated geologic features, and fossils
.
What are 6 pieces of evidence that support continental drift?
- Fossils.
- Continents fit like Puzzle Pieces. Matching fossils preserved in rocks of the same age but found on different continents. Ex. …
- Matching Rocks. Puzzle – like fit of continental shelves. Ex. …
- Mountain Ranges.
- Glacier Striations.
- Coal Beds.
What is the difference between plate tectonics and continental drift?
The main difference between plate tectonics and continental drift is that
plate tectonics describes the features and movement of Earth’s surface in the present and in the past
whereas continental drift describes the drifting of Earth’s continents on the ocean bed.
Why was the continental drift theory rejected?
This idea was quickly rejected by the scientific community primarily because
the actual forces generated by the rotation of the earth were calculated to be insufficient to move continents
.
What are the 4 types of plate tectonics?
- Divergent: extensional; the plates move apart. Spreading ridges, basin-range.
- Convergent: compressional; plates move toward each other. Includes: Subduction zones and mountain building.
- Transform: shearing; plates slide past each other. Strike-slip motion.
What is the importance of continental drift theory?
continental drift,
large-scale horizontal movements of continents relative to one another and to the ocean basins during one or more episodes of geologic time
. This concept was an important precursor to the development of the theory of plate tectonics, which incorporates it.
What are the 3 theories of plate tectonics?
The three types of plate boundaries are
divergent, convergent, and transform
. They are described in the following three concepts. Most geological activity takes place at plate boundaries.
What does Pangaea mean in Greek?
Pangea was surrounded by a global ocean called Panthalassa, and it was fully assembled by the Early Permian Epoch (some 299 million to 273 million years ago). … Its name is derived from the Greek pangaia, meaning
“all the Earth
.”
What are two pieces of evidence for seafloor spreading?
Several types of evidence from the oceans supported Hess’s theory of sea-floor spreading-
evidence from molten material, magnetic stripes, and drilling samples
. This evidence also led sci- entists to look again at Wegener’s theory of continental drift.
Why do tectonic plates move?
The heat from radioactive processes within the planet’s interior causes the plates
to move, sometimes toward and sometimes away from each other. This movement is called plate motion, or tectonic shift.
What are 5 pieces of evidence that support continental drift?
The evidence for continental drift included
the fit of the continents; the distribution of ancient fossils, rocks, and mountain ranges; and the locations of ancient climatic zones
.
Which of the following answers is evidence for continental drift except?
Wegener used all the following to provide evidence for continental drift except :
age of selected continental rocks
.
What was the response to Wegener’s hypothesis?
“That was always his response:
Just assert it again, even more strongly
.” By the time Wegener published the final version of his theory, in 1929, he was certain it would sweep other theories aside and pull together all the accumulating evidence into a unifying vision of the earth’s history.
