Continental Drift

Front

What is Continental Drift?

Back

The theory that continents have moved over geological time and were once joined together in a single landmass.

Front

What is sea-floor spreading?

Back

The process by which new oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges as tectonic plates move apart.

Front

What evidence supports the Theory of Continental Drift?

Back

Fossil records, glacier scars, and the alignment of mountain ranges across continents.

Front

How do glacier scars in Africa support Continental Drift?

Back

They indicate that Africa was once located in a much colder climate.

Front

What did Alfred Wegener propose?

Back

He proposed the Theory of Continental Drift, suggesting that continents were once connected.

Front

What is the significance of similar fossil records across continents?

Back

They provide evidence that continents were once joined and shared similar environments.

Front

What are tectonic plates?

Back

Large sections of the Earth's lithosphere that move and interact at their boundaries.

Front

What is a mid-ocean ridge?

Back

An underwater mountain range where sea-floor spreading occurs.

Front

What is the role of convection currents in the mantle?

Back

They drive the movement of tectonic plates by causing them to shift.

Front

What is Pangaea?

Back

A supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras.