Continental Drift & Seafloor Spreading

Scientists think that the continents once formed a giant landmass that broke apart, and then slowly drifted apart. What is the name given to this hypothesis?

• sea-floor Spreading

• plate tectonics

• continental drift

• Pangaea

Most geologist think that the movement of Earth's tectonic plates is caused by

• the rotation of the Earth.

• the Earth's magnetic field.

• subduction in the mantle

• convection currents in the mantle (asthenosphere)

• convection currents in the lithosphere

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

What is the name of the super continent that existed about 250 million years ago?

• Plate tectonics

• Convection

• Pangaea

• Gonwandaland

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Who was the scientist that created the Theory of Continental Drift?

• Harry Hess

• George Washington

• Alfred Wegener

• Marie Curie

Fossils of the Mesosaurus were found on the continents of South America and Africa within the same layers of rock. This provides evidence that the two continents were once

• separated by an ocean.

• joined as one large land mass.

• in different hemispheres.

• located near the poles.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Most scientists did not believe Alfred Wegener's hypothesis about drifting land masses. Why?

• He did not give enough evidence.

• They thought his time table was off.

• They did not like Alfred.

• He could not explain how the land masses moved.

Choose all the evidence Wegener used to support his Continental Drift Hypothesis.

• human remains

• fossils

• mountain ranges

• Shape of the continents

• the age of the Earth

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

How does the Theory of Continental Drift explain the evidence of the same age and type of rock (Mountain Ranges) on different land masses?

• The world's climate changed over time.

• Scientists have incorrectly identified glacier remains.

• The land masses were at one time in a different climate.

• Glaciers covered the world.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

How did Wegener explain that the same fossils ended up on different land mass?

• The same organisms were born and died on different land masses.

• The organisms were carried by land bridges across the water.

• The organisms lived on a single land mass that split apart.

• The organisms were carried to different land masses by "rafting."

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

The lithosphere is broken into pieces called

• paper plates

• tectonic pieces

• physical pieces

• tectonic plates