Reading Science - Plate Tectonics

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What is Pangaea?

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Pangaea is the name of the giant supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras, proposed by Alfred Wegener.

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How did Alfred Wegener support his theory of continental drift?

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Wegener supported his theory by observing the shapes of the continents and how they seemed to fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

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What are symmetrical magnetic stripes in the ocean floor evidence of?

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They provide evidence for the spreading of ocean floor on both sides of oceanic ridges, supporting the theory of plate tectonics.

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What scientific theory was developed from the evidence of continental drift?

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The Theory of Plate Tectonics.

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What types of evidence support the theory of continental drift?

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Fossil records across continents, matching geological formations, and paleomagnetic evidence.

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What is the Theory of Plate Tectonics?

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The Theory of Plate Tectonics explains the movement of the Earth's lithosphere, which is divided into tectonic plates that float on the semi-fluid asthenosphere.

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What is continental drift?

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Continental drift is the gradual movement of continents across the Earth's surface through geological time.

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Who was Alfred Wegener?

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Alfred Wegener was a German meteorologist and geophysicist who proposed the theory of continental drift in the early 20th century.

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What is the significance of mid-ocean ridges?

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Mid-ocean ridges are underwater mountain ranges where new oceanic crust is formed through volcanic activity, playing a key role in plate tectonics.

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What is subduction?

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Subduction is the process by which one tectonic plate moves under another plate and sinks into the mantle.