WorksheetsContinental Drift
Total questions: 29
Worksheet time: 15mins
Evidence or not? fossils of the Glossopteris plant are found in southern Africa, South America, Australia, Antarctica, and India
Evidence
Not evidence
Evidence, but does not support Continental Drift
Evidence or not? Evidence of glaciers found in Africa, South America, Australia, Antarctica, and India show that glaciers moved outward from a central location
Evidence
Not evidence
Evidence, but does not support Continental Drift
Evidence or not? Alfred Wegener speaks at a geology conference
Evidence
Not evidence
Evidence, but does not support Continental Drift
Evidence or Not? Alfred Wegener cannot explain how the continents were able to move, and his theory is dismissed by most geologists following his presentation to the Geological Association
Evidence
Not evidence
Evidence, but does not support Continental Drift
Evidence or not? Popular Geology magazine publishes the statement “Continents are so large they must always have been where they are.” In the March 1912 edition.
Evidence
Not evidence
Evidence, but does not support Continental Drift
Evidence or not? Wegener observes that a South American mountain range in Argentina lines up with an ancient African mountain range in South Africa when the two continents are placed together.
Evidence
Not evidence
Evidence, but does not support Continental Drift
Evidence or not? It is discovered that the continental crust is made mostly of the igneous rock granite.
Evidence
Not evidence
Evidence, but does not support Continental Drift
Evidence or not? rock layers on the western coast of Africa in the following sequence: basalt rock, shale containing fossil reptiles, coal layers containing Glossopteris fossils, rocks containing Mesosaurus fossils, and shale. He discovers an almost identical sequence of rock layers on the eastern coast of South America.
Evidence
Not evidence
Evidence, but does not support Continental Drift
Evidence or not? Evidence of hurricanes is present on each continent.
Evidence
Not evidence
Evidence, but does not support Continental Drift
Evidence or not? It is discovered that the ocean salinity (amount of salt) in the oceans is similar in all oceans
Evidence
Not evidence
Evidence, but does not support Continental Drift
Evidence or not? Geologist Edward Bullard uses computers to match the coasts of South AMerica and Africa. They match extremely well at an ocean depth of 1000 meters.
Evidence
Not evidence
Evidence, but does not support Continental Drift
Evidence or not? In the 1980’s scientists used satellites to measure the movement of continents. They discovered the continents move an average of 2 cm per year.
Evidence
Not evidence
Evidence, but does not support Continental Drift
Evidence or not? Fossils of Megascolecidae earthworms are found in South America, Africa, India and Australia
Evidence
Not evidence
Evidence, but does not support Continental Drift
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.
convection currents.
Ocean crust is made of _______ and is _______ dense than continental crust.
basalt, less
basalt, more
granite, less
granite, more
What is pangaea?
A supercontinent that broke apart 2 million years ago
A supercontinent that broke apart about 150 million years ago
The oldest supercontinent
A ridge that is found at the bottom of the ocean
What evidence from climate supports the idea that the continents were once joined and then drifted apart? Choose all that apply.
It was colder at the equator during Pangaea
Remains of plants and animals are found in
climates which they could not have survived
Evidence of
glaciers are found on continents that are in tropical regions of the Earth.
Climate change caused the Earth's continents to move
Why did other scientists reject Wegener’s idea of continental drift?
They didn't know that there were continents back then
He didn't know about Pangaea
He could not provide an explanation for the force that pushes or pulls the continents
Wegener was a flat earther
What evidence did Wegener use to support his ideas about continental drift? Choose all that apply
Landforms
Fossils
Plants
Climate
Water
Why did no one believe Wegener's thoery?
He could not explain HOW the continents moved
He didn't have evidence
His data was wrong
He didn't use the right technology to gather data
What two specific continents fit together most noticeably?
Africa and North America
South America and Europe
South America and Africa
Antartica and Africa
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.
According to the continental drift hypothesis, the presence of similar mountain ranges in North America and Europe supports which scientific idea?
Mountains can easily and frequently travel between North America and Europe
Mountains probably enjoy swimming (but only once every 250 million years).
Land bridges once existed that connected the continents.
North America and Europe were once connected together.
According to the continental drift hypothesis, the presence of tropical coal beds in non-tropical and arctic areas supports which scientific idea?
Despite glaciers still being present at the poles, the whole Earth must have been warmer.
Dinosaurs set up a 4,000 mile long green house in order to increase the growing and harvest season of tropical swamp plants.
Tropical plants could also grow in snow and glaciers.
Those non-tropical areas must have been located in a tropical location in the past.
