The theory of continental drift is most associated with the
scientist Alfred Wegener
What supported the idea of 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 evidence 3 supports the theory of continental drift?
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
.
Which land supports the theory of continental drift?
Canyon
supports the theory of continental drift.
What is continental drift theory explain?
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.
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 pieces of evidence for 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
.
Why did no one believe Wegener’s theory?
The main reason that Wegener’s hypothesis was not accepted was
because he suggested no mechanism for moving the continents
. He thought the force of Earth’s spin was sufficient to cause continents to move, but geologists knew that rocks are too strong for this to be true.
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.
Why is the continental drift theory important?
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.
Who is the father of continental drift?
Alfred Wegener
: The Father 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 is the nickname for continental drift?
Pangea’s
existence was first proposed in 1912 by German meteorologist Alfred Wegener as a part of his theory of continental drift. Its name is derived from the Greek pangaia, meaning “all the Earth.”
Is Pangea proven?
Modern geology has shown that
Pangea did actually exist
. In contrast to Wegener’s thinking, however, geologists note that other Pangea-like supercontinents likely preceded Pangea, including Rodinia (circa 1 billion years ago) and Pannotia (circa 600 million years ago).
What are the two tectonic plates called?
There are two main types of tectonic plates:
oceanic and continental
.
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.
