Continental Drift and Plate Tectonics

Front

What is Pangea?

Back

Pangea was a supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras, where all the continents were joined together.

Front

What is the hypothesis of continental drift?

Back

The hypothesis of continental drift, proposed by Alfred Wegener, states that the continents were once joined together in a single landmass and have since drifted apart.

Front

What are the two types of crust?

Back

The two types of crust are continental crust and oceanic crust.

Front

What is plate tectonics?

Back

Plate tectonics is the scientific theory that describes the large-scale movement of Earth's lithosphere, which is divided into tectonic plates.

Front

Who proposed the theory of continental drift?

Back

Alfred Wegener proposed the theory of continental drift.

Front

What is the difference between continental crust and oceanic crust?

Back

Continental crust is thicker and less dense than oceanic crust, which is thinner and denser.

Front

What is seafloor spreading?

Back

Seafloor spreading is the process by which new oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges and older crust is pushed away.

Front

What evidence supports the theory of continental drift?

Back

Evidence includes the fit of the continents, fossil similarities across continents, and geological similarities.

Front

What are tectonic plates?

Back

Tectonic plates are large pieces of Earth's lithosphere that move and interact at their boundaries.

Front

What happens at a convergent boundary?

Back

At a convergent boundary, two tectonic plates move toward each other, often causing one plate to be forced beneath the other.