Continental Drift – Flashcards
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What is Continental Drift?
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the hypothesis that states that the continents once formed a single landmass, broke up and drifted to their present locations
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Who is Alfred Wegener?
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he developed the theory of contiental drift
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What did Wegener call this HUGE continent?
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Pangaea
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What is Pangaea?
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greek word meaning "all Earth" when all the continents were together
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What types of evidence is there to support continental drift?
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1. shape/fit
2. fossils - animal and plant
3. rock
4. mountain
5. climate
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What does the shape/fit evidence state?
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that the continents seem to fit together to form 1 large land mass
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What does the animal and plant fossil evidence state?
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fossils of the same extinct animal species are found on contintnets on different sides of the oceans BUT these animals couldn't swim that far. Fossils of the same extinct ferns are found on many continents across oceans BUT their seeds were too heavy to blow across the ocean
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What does the rock evidence state?
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similar types of rock formations found on different continents come together
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What does the mountain evidence state?
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mountain ranges line up with similar rock of the same age
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What does the climate evidence state?
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Anatartica has evidence of swamps and forests which means it once must have been closer to the equator
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Why didn't scientists accept Wegener's Contintnetal Drift hypothesis?
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they didn't believe solid rock could move
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What is sonar?
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sound waves bounce off the ocean floor giving scientists data about its topography
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How did sonar convince scientists to accept Contintental Drift hypotheisis?
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sonar evidence provided a way to explain how continents moved
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What did sonar help scientists make?
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first reliable maps of the ocean floor
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What are the steps of Contintental Drift?
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1. continents were all connected into 1 continent called Pangaea
2. Panageas broke up into a northern continent called Laurasia and a southern continent called Gondwana
3. Gondwana broke up and formed Africa, South America, Australia, and India. Laurasia broke up and formed Europe, Asia and North America.
4. Inida continued to drift up and join Asia
