Pangaea

Front

What is Pangaea?

Back

Pangaea was a supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras, approximately 335 to 175 million years ago, when all the continents were joined together.

Front

What is sea-floor spreading?

Back

Sea-floor spreading is the process by which new oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges and older crust moves away from the ridge.

Front

Where are the oldest rocks found in relation to mid-ocean ridges?

Back

The oldest rocks are found far from the mid-ocean ridges.

Front

What evidence supports the theory of continental drift?

Back

Evidence includes the fitting together of continents like puzzle pieces, matching fossils across continents, glacier scars, and aligned mountain ranges.

Front

What is a mid-ocean ridge?

Back

A mid-ocean ridge is an undersea mountain range formed by plate tectonics, where new ocean floor is created.

Front

What discovery led scientists to rethink Wegener's theory?

Back

The discovery of seafloor spreading in the Atlantic Ocean caused scientists to rethink Wegener's continental drift theory.

Front

True or False: Sea-floor spreading adds new material to the ocean floor.

Back

True.

Front

What is the significance of the ring of fire?

Back

The ring of fire is a major area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean where a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur, indicating tectonic activity.

Front

What role do tectonic plates play in the movement of continents?

Back

Tectonic plates are large sections of the Earth's lithosphere that move and interact at their boundaries, causing continents to drift.

Front

What is continental drift?

Back

Continental drift is the theory that continents have moved over geological time and were once joined together.