Chapter 1 Section 3

The Theory of Continental Drift,

pg. 29
 In 1910 a German scientist named
Alfred Wegener formed a hypothesis
that the Earth’s continents had moved
from their original position.

Alfred Wegener
 The Theory of Continental Drift,
pg. 29
 His hypothesis stated that all the
continents had once been joined
together in a single landmass and has
since drifted apart.
 Wegener named this super continent
Pangaea, meaning “All Lands.”
 The Theory of Continental Drift,
pg. 29
 Pangaea existed about 300 million years
ago
 Tens of millions of years passed while
Pangaea broke apart and slowly moved
to their present positions; becoming
today’s continents.
 The Theory of Continental Drift,
pg. 29
 Wegener’s idea that the continents
slowly moved over Earth’s surface is
now known as continental drift.
 Wegener studied landforms, fossils and
the changes in Earth’s climate to gather
evidence for continental drift.
 He published “The Origin of
Continents and Oceans” in 1915.
 Evidence from Landforms,
pg. 30
 Mountain ranges and other features on
the continents provided evidence for
continental drift.
 Mountain ranges in South Africa match
up to mountain ranges in Argentina
when pieced together.
 European coal fields match up with
similar coal fields in North America.
 Evidence from Fossils
 Wegener also used fossils, any trace of
an ancient organism that has been
preserved in rock, to support his theory.
 Fossils of reptiles Mesosaurus and
Lystrosaurus have been found in places
now separated by oceans.
 Neither could have swam great distances
across salt water, therefore they must have lived
on a single landmass that has since been split
apart.
 Evidence from Fossils
 Glossopteris, a fern-like plant, lived over
250 million years ago.
 Fossils have been found in Africa, South
America, Australia, India and Antarctica.
 The presence on widespread landmasses
convinced Wegener that the continents were
once connected.
 Its seeds were too large to have been
carried by the wind, and too fragile to have
survived travel by ocean waves.
 Evidence from Climate,
Pg. 31
 Wegener used evidence of climate
change to support his theory of
continental drift.
 Example: The island of Spitsberger lies
in the Arctic Ocean, North of Norway. It
is ice-covered and has a harsh polar
climate.
 But fossils of tropical plants have been
found on Spitsberger.
 Evidence from Climate,
Pg. 31
 When these plants were alive 300
million years ago, the island must have
had a warm and mild climate (closer to
the equator).
 Evidence from Climate,
Pg. 31
 Another example: South Africa was once
covered with continental glaciers
 Today’s climate there is mild and wouldn’t
allow glaciers to form.
 S. Africa must have been closer to the South
Pole during this time.
 Evidence from Climate,
 As continents move Pg. 31
towards the poles,
climate becomes
colder.
 As continents move
towards the equator,
climate becomes
warmer.
 But continents carry,
with it, fossils and
rocks formed at its
previous locations.
 Scientists Reject Wegener’s Theory,
Pg. 32
 Because Wegener could not identify the
cause of continental drift, most
geologists rejected his idea from 1920-
1960.
 As new evidence surfaces about Earth’s
structure, scientists began to reconsider
his theory.