Continental Drift

and

Plate Tectonics

Continental Drift
The idea that a single large landmass broke up into smaller landmasses to form the continents, which then drifted to their present locations.

What was this single large landmass called?

Pangaea

In 1912, Alfred Wegner proposed (thought) that the

continents used to fit together like big puzzle to create one giant supercontinent.
He referred to this supercontinent as Pangaea.

Who is Alfred Wegner?

Most known for his theory of continental drift proposed in 1912 but it was not accepted until the 1950s when discoveries about magnetism were known.

Watch Pangaea Seperate

Pangaea Animation

What is Some Evidence to Support Pangaea and the theory of continental drift?
Notice how

the continents used to fit together like a puzzle and have

moved outward to their current placement today.

More Evidence for Pangaea and Continental Drift

Index fossils have been found along borders of continent s that were connected during Pangaea

More Evidence for Pangaea and Continental Drift

Similar layers of rock (with Glossopteris fossils in them) were formed (3) in each continent before Pangaea broke apart. These layers have been found in Antarctica, Australia, South America, Africa and India.

More evidence for Pangaea and Continental Drift

The distribution of glacial features can best be explained if the continents were part of Pangaea.

Grooves carved by glaciers (shown by arrows) provide evidence for continental drift.
(3)

This diagram shows the continents in their presentday locations and how the glacier would have to travel to reach each spotNot likely!

How did the continents move?

Wegener believed that continents plowed through oceanic crust but this was not accepted by other geologists.

Wegeners shortcoming was the lack of proof as to how the continents moved from one place to another.

Proof for moving the continents

Arthur Holmes believed that convection currents (heat) were happening below the Earths crust which caused the movement of the continents.

Who is Arthur Holmes?

He was most noted for his advances in being able to measure the age of a rock and proposing that Earths mantle contained convection cells that moved the crust at the surface.

Plate Tectonics

What is the Plate Tectonic Theory?

According to the theory, the surface of the Earth is broken into plates and the size and position of these plates changes over time. The plates are thought to be moved by the convection currents. The plates move in different ways which cause the continents on the plates to move.

What is some Proof for Plate Tectonics?

Earthquakes and volcanoes show evidence of movement in the Earth and help scientists locate the edges of plates. Earthquakes are distributed in narrow, linear belts that circle the Earth.

What is the Ring of Fire?

Perimeter along plate boundaries where there is a lot of volcanic activity and earthquakes.