Wegener and Continental Drift

Front

Who first proposed the idea of Continental Drift?

Back

Alfred Wegener

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

Why was the evidence of seafloor spreading important to the idea of Continental Drift?

Back

It answered the question of HOW continents could be moving.

Front

What did Wegener name the large supercontinent where all the continents were joined together?

Back

Pangaea

Front

What is seafloor spreading?

Back

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

Front

What evidence did Wegener use to support his hypothesis of Continental Drift?

Back

Fossil evidence, geological similarities, and the fit of the continents.

Front

What is the significance of magnetic striping on the seafloor?

Back

It provides evidence for seafloor spreading and the movement of tectonic plates.

Front

What are tectonic plates?

Back

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

Front

What is the theory of plate tectonics?

Back

The scientific theory that describes the large-scale movements of Earth's lithosphere.

Front

What is a mid-ocean ridge?

Back

An underwater mountain range formed by plate tectonics and seafloor spreading.