What countries had continental drift?
The widespread distribution of Permo-Carboniferous glacial sediments in South America, Africa, Madagascar, Arabia, India, Antarctica and Australia was one of the major pieces of evidence for the theory of continental drift.
What two continents that fit together to justify the continental drift?
The east coast of South America and the west coast of Africa seem to fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, and Wegener discovered their rock layers “fit” just as clearly. South America and Africa were not the only continents with similar geology.
Was all land once connected?
The word Pangaea means “All Lands”, this describes the way all the continents were joined up together. Pangea existed 240 million years ago and about 200 millions years ago it began to break apart.
What are the 4 evidences of continental drift?
The four pieces of evidence for the continental drift include continents fitting together like a puzzle, scattering ancient fossils, rocks, mountain ranges, and the old climatic zones’ locations.
Do the continents fit together?
The shapes of continents fit together like a puzzle. Just look at the east coast of South America and the west coast of Africa—it’s almost a perfect fit! Identical rocks have been found on different continents. These rocks formed millions of years ago, before the continents separated.
Why was Wegener’s continental drift rejected?
The main reason that Wegener’s hypothesis was not accepted was because he suggested no mechanism for moving the continents. He thought the force of Earth’s spin was sufficient to cause continents to move, but geologists knew that rocks are too strong for this to be true.
How did Pangea break apart?
Scientists believe that Pangea broke apart for the same reason that the plates are moving today. The movement is caused by the convection currents that roll over in the upper zone of the mantle. About 200 million years ago Pangaea broke into two new continents Laurasia and Gondwanaland.
Who is the father of continental drift?
Alfred Wegener
Alfred Wegener: The Father of Continental Drift.
What will Earth look like in 50 million years?
Future World. This is the way the World may look like 50 million years from now! If we continue present-day plate motions the Atlantic will widen, Africa will collide with Europe closingthe Mediterranean, Australia will collide with S.E. Asia, and California will slide northward up the coast to Alaska.
What did Earth First Look Like?
In Earth’s Beginning At its beginning, Earth was unrecognizable from its modern form. At first, it was extremely hot, to the point that the planet likely consisted almost entirely of molten magma. Over the course of a few hundred million years, the planet began to cool and oceans of liquid water formed.
What two continents fit together most noticeably?
Answer. The east coast of South America and the west coast of Africa seem to fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, and Wegener discovered their rock layers “fit” just as clearly. South America and Africa were not the only continents with similar geology.
What did Harry Hess discover about the ocean floor?
Harry Hess was a geologist and Navy submarine commander during World War II. Part of his mission had been to study the deepest parts of the ocean floor. In 1946 he had discovered that hundreds of flat-topped mountains, perhaps sunken islands, shape the Pacific floor.
How are continents fit together in continental drift?
The Continental Drift Idea. Figure 1. The continents fit together like pieces of a puzzle. This is how they looked 250 million years ago. Find a map of the continents and cut each one out. Better yet, use a map where the edges of the continents show the continental shelf. That’s the true size and shape of a continent.
Who was the scientist who created the theory of continental drift?
The theory of continental drift is most associated with the scientist Alfred Wegener. In the early 20th century, Wegener published a paper explaining his theory that the continental landmasses were “drifting” across the Earth, sometimes plowing through oceans and into each other.
What did Alfred Wegener believe about continental drift?
The continental drift hypothesis was developed in the early part of the twentieth century, mostly by Alfred Wegener. Wegener said that continents move around on Earth’s surface and that they were once joined together as a single supercontinent. While Wegener was alive, scientists did not believe that the continents could move.
How are fossils used to support continental drift?
Wegener used fossil evidence to support his continental drift hypothesis. The fossils of these organisms are found on lands that are now far apart. Grooves and rock deposits left by ancient glaciers are found today on different continents very close to the equator.