The energy source for plate tectonics is Earth’s internal heat while the forces moving the plates are the “
ridge push” and “slab pull” gravity forces
. It was once thought that mantle convection could drive plate motions
What are 2 pieces of evidence for 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
.
What force causes continents to move?
The movement of these tectonic plates is likely caused by
convection currents
in the molten rock in Earth’s mantle below the crust. Earthquakes and volcanoes are the short-term results of this tectonic movement. The long-term result of plate tectonics is the movement of entire continents over millions of years (Fig.
Why did Pangea break up?
The models show how tectonic plate motion and mantle convection forces worked together to break apart and move large land masses. For example,
Pangaea’s large mass insulated the mantle underneath
, causing mantle flows that triggered the initial breakup of the supercontinent.
Are continents still moving?
Today, we know that the continents rest on massive slabs of rock called tectonic plates. The plates are always moving and interacting in a process called plate tectonics.
The continents are still moving today
. … The two continents are moving away from each other at the rate of about 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) per year.
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
.
How do we know Pangea existed?
The rock formations of eastern North America, Western Europe, and northwestern Africa were later found to have a common origin, and they overlapped in time with the presence of Gondwanaland. Together, these discoveries supported the existence of Pangea. … Modern geology has shown that
Pangea did actually exist
.
Are 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.
Did dinosaurs live on Pangea?
Dinosaurs lived on all of the continents
. At the beginning of the age of dinosaurs (during the Triassic Period, about 230 million years ago), the continents were arranged together as a single supercontinent called Pangea. During the 165 million years of dinosaur existence this supercontinent slowly broke apart.
Will Pangea ever form again?
The answer
is yes
. Pangea wasn’t the first supercontinent to form during Earth’s 4.5-billion-year geologic history, and it won’t be the last. … Next came Rodinia, which dominated the planet between 1.2 billion and 750 million years ago.
What if Pangea never broke apart?
On Pangea, we might have less diversity of species. The species at the top of the food chain today would most likely remain there, but
some of today’s animals
would not exist in Pangea. They wouldn’t have a chance to evolve. Fewer animals might make it easier to travel.
How fast did Pangea break apart?
This is most dramatically seen between North America and Africa during Pangea’s initial rift some 240 million years ago. At that time, the slabs of rock that carried these present-day continents crawled apart from each other at
a rate of a millimeter a year
. They remained in this slow phase for about 40 million years.
In what era did Pangea break up?
The supercontinent began to break apart about 200 million years ago, during
the Early Jurassic Epoch
(201 million to 174 million years ago), eventually forming the modern continents and the Atlantic and Indian oceans.
Is Australia moving towards Asia?
Plate movements
The eastern part (Australia) is
moving northward
at the rate of 5.6 cm (2.2 in) per year while the western part (India) is moving only at the rate of 3.7 cm (1.5 in) per year due to the impediment of the Himalayas.
Which part of Pangea broke apart first?
They all existed as a single continent called Pangea. Pangea first began to be torn apart when
a three-pronged fissure
grew between Africa, South America, and North America.
Where is Earth’s heat energy most concentrated?
Where Do We Find Geothermal Energy? Although heat from the center of the Earth is migrating to the surface everywhere, the heat is concentrated at
the edges of tectonic plates
.
