continental drift

Who is the person credited with developing the theory of continental drift?

• Harry Hess
• Galileo
• Alfred Wegener
• Newton

Why did no one believe Wegener's ideas about continental drift?

• He could not successfully explain HOW the continents moved

• He didn't have evidence that supported his ideas that the continents had once been connected

• They were biased against his ideas because he was German.

• He didn't use the right technology to gather data

What type of evidence was used by Alfred Wegener to support his continental drift hypothesis? (Select 3)

• evidence from landforms / geology

• evidence from fossils

• evidence from human remains

• evidence from climate

What is this a picture of?

• plate tectonics

• continental drift

• pangaea

• glacier scaring

What items were found in Antarctica that lead us to believe the climate was once much warmer? (Choose 3)

• Plant fossils of tropical ferns

• Animal fossils of reptiles that live in warm conditions

• Coal deposits

• Mammoth fossils preserved in ice

The Appalachian Mountains in the U.S. match up with a similar mountain ranges in Europe and Africa. How does this support Wegener's theory of Continental Drift?

• The mountains were formed after tectonic plates had moved away from each other

• The similarities provide evidence that North America, Europe, and Africa were connected when the mountains formed.

• Similar rock samples were found on the ocean floor and at the two mountain ranges indicating that they both formed around the same time.

• This evidence does not support the theory of continental drift.

Alfred Wegener used all of the following for evidence of his idea EXCEPT...

• The shapes of the continents fitting together like a puzzle

• Similar fossils on different continents

• Comparable modern weather patterns on different continents

• Similar rock formations on different continents

According to the continental drift theory, the presence of similar fossils in South America and Africa supports which scientific idea?

• Animals can easily travel from Africa to South America.

• Species of animals probably traveled between continents on natural rafts (such as trees destroyed in tsunamis).

• Land bridges once existed that connected the continents across the Atlantic Ocean.

• South America and Africa were once connected together.

This is a picture of glacier scars found in Africa.  What are these evidence for?

• Africa has always been near the equator
• Africa was once in an area of the Earth that had a very cold climate
• The continents have not moved
• sea floor spreading

According to the continental drift hypothesis, the presence of similar fossils in South America and Africa supports which scientific idea?

• Animals easily and frequently travel from Africa to South America.

• Species of animals probably traveled between continents on natural rafts (such as trees destroyed in tsunamis).

• Land bridges once existed that connected the continents.

• South America and Africa were once connected together.