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 are the 6 pieces of evidence for the theory of continental drift?
What are six pieces of evidence for the continental drift theory?
Reptile Fossils
– dinosaurs couldn’t have swam across a vast ocean. Plant Fossils- all these regions were once connected and had similar climates. Tropical plants found in Arctic- tropical plants can’t grow in cold climates.
What are 4 pieces of evidence that support the theory of continental drift?
The four pieces of evidence for the continental drift include
continents fitting together like a puzzle, scattering ancient fossils, rocks, mountain ranges, and the old climatic zones’ locations
.
What is the main point of continental drift theory?
Continental drift was a theory that
explained how continents shift position on Earth’s surface
. Set forth in 1912 by Alfred Wegener, a geophysicist and meteorologist, continental drift also explained why look-alike animal and plant fossils, and similar rock formations, are found on different continents.
What are the 5 evidences of continental drift theory?
They based their idea of continental drift on several lines of evidence:
fit of the continents, paleoclimate indicators, truncated geologic features, and fossils
.
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 3 pieces of evidence for Pangea?
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 is the 1st evidence of continental drift?
The first truly detailed and comprehensive theory of continental drift was proposed in 1912 by Alfred Wegener, a German meteorologist. … Du Toit, a South African geologist, modified Wegener’s hypothesis by suggesting two primordial continents:
Laurasia in the north and Gondwana in the south
.
What is the evidence for Pangea?
Glacial deposits, specifically till, of the same age and structure are found on many separate continents that would have been together in the continent of Pangaea. Fossil evidence for Pangaea includes
the presence of similar and identical species on continents that are now great distances apart
.
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.
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.
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 examples of continental drift?
The North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, for example, are separated by the
Mid-Atlantic Ridge
. The two continents are moving away from each other at the rate of about 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) per year. Rift valleys are sites where a continental landmass is ripping itself apart.
Who is the father of continental drift?
Alfred Wegener
: The Father of Continental Drift.
Are the continents floating?
The continents do not float on a sea of molten rock
. … Under the continents is a layer of solid rock known as the upper mantle or asthenosphere. Though solid, this layer is weak and ductile enough to slowly flow under heat convection, causing the tectonic plates to move.
What evidence does not support the continental drift?
Although the evidence for continental drift was extremely strong, scientists rejected the idea because
no mechanism for how solid continents could move around on
the solid earth was developed. The discovery of apparent polar wander renewed scientists interest in continental drift.
