Continental Drift

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

• Harry Hess
• Galileo
• Alfred Wegener
• Newton

What was Pangaea?

• It was a supercontinent, made of all of the landmasses on Earth.

• It was 2 separate landmasses, one on the Northern Hemisphere and one on the Southern Hemisphere.

• It was a supercontinent made of 3 landmasses

• It was the name of an ancient organism

What does the theory of continental drift state?

• The continents were once joined in a super-continent and have moved over time
• Continents are stationary and do not move
• The Earth is broken into lithospheric plates that move due to convection currents
• none of the above

The geological theory that states that pieces of Earth's lithosphere are in constant, slow motion is the theory of

• subduction
• plate tectonics
• evolution
• seafloor spreading

What evidence did Wegener use in his theory?

• Continents and fossils fitting together/matching-up like puzzle pieces

• tropical rain forests were found in different locations

• divergent boundaries were found in different locations.

• sea floor spreading caused new crusts to be formed.

Alfred Wegener thought South America and Africa have similar coastlines because...

• the mesosaurus fossils were found on both continents

• He noticed that similar rocks were found on both continents

• he thought that the continents used be be joined together

• Pangaea was 250 million years ago

What geologic feature was evidence to support the theory that the continents used to be joined?

• Same rocks and mountain ranges were found on different continents

• Glacial grooves were found on different continents

• Fossilized evidence of the same organism found on different continents

• Africa and South America look like puzzle pieces that fit together

What cold environment feature was evidence to support the theory that the continents used to be joined?

• Same rocks were found on different continents

• Glacial grooves were found on different continents

• Fossilized evidence of the same organism found on different continents

• Africa and South America look like puzzle pieces that fit together

What evidence of an ancient organism was used to support the theory that the continents used to be joined?

• Same rocks were found on different continents

• Glacial grooves were found on different continents

• Fossilized evidence of the same organism found on different continents

• Africa and South America look like puzzle pieces that fit together

Originally the Continental drift theory was not well received by other scientist. Why?

• There was a competing theory at the time that was more believable.

• There was no data showing the continents ever moved.

• The scientists did not know the force responsible for moving the continents.

• The scientist presenting the data was unreliable.