Drifting Continents in Earth Science

Continental Drift

Continental Drift

• 1912 - German scientist Alfred Wegener hypothesized that the continents were once joined together in a single mass

• Single mass then broke into pieces and moved apart

• He called the "super continent" Pangea

  • --> "all land"

Continental Drift

• Wegener's Theory of Continental Drift

Multiple Choice

What field of science did Wegner originally begin studying?

• Astronomy

• Biology

• Physics

• Chemistry

Drag and Drop

What are 3 pieces of geologic evidence Wegner used to support his theory?​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

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Coal deposits in Arctic

Mesosaurus fossils in Brazil and South Africa

Glaciers left scars on desert rocks

Earth's crust is on top of flowing magma

maps of the ocean floor

magnetic polarity in rocks

rock closest to mid-ocean ridges is younger

Multiple Choice

The major weakness of Wegener's theory was that

• He could not explain how the continents moved

• It conflicted with what was said in the Bible

• He could not speak English and no one understood German

• It conflicted with Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection

Continental Drift

• Alfred Wegener

Open Ended

What led Wegener to propose the idea that South America and Africa were once joined together?

Fill in the Blank

The term "Pangea" comes from the __ language.

Fill in the Blank

The term "Pangea" comes from the Greek language and means "_".

Multiple Choice

Wegener called his theory

• continental drift

• plate tectonics

• natural selection

• sea floor spreading

Labelling

Order

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Supercontinent fractures

One supercontinent called "Pangea"

Plates begin to move apart

Plates at present positions

• Puzzle - like fit of the current continents

• Rock formation ending on one continent continued on another in matching locations

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​Supporting Evidence

• Fossils of same organisms found on separate continents in matching locations (i.e. Glossopteris)

• Coal deposits and other fossilized remains of tropical plants found in Antarctica

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​Supporting Evidence

• Wegener could not explain how the continents moved through the solid ocean floor

• Wegener could not explain the source of the forces required to move the continents

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Objections