Abundant evidence supports the major contentions of the seafloor-spreading theory. Indications of widespread glaciation from 380 to 250 million years ago are evident in Antarctica, southern South America, southern Africa, India, and Australia. Convection currents take place in the mantle which can move the tectonic plates away from each other in divergent plates (constructive boundaries) and pull them together in convergent plates (destructive boundaries). Rock Correlation. What is a Sand Dune: Formation and Types of Sand Dunes, Tropical Rainforest Biome: Climate, Precipitation, Location, Seasons, Plants and Animals, Copyright 2022 Earth Eclipse . There are two varieties of tectonic plates: Oceanic plates and Continental plates. This apparent fit is due to the fact the continents were once connected and have since moved apart in what has been called continental drift . This essay wont pass a plagiarism check! Alfred Wegener proposed the Continental Drift Theory in 1912. The theory provided our understanding on the landmasses that inhabit this world as well as the ocean basins. (No. Fossils and Mountain ranges were his evidences. identical rocks, mountains and structures. He knew that plant and animal fossils as well as rock layers matched up in South America and Africa. Another piece of evidence is that fossils of plants, animals and invertebrates have been found on separate continents. Wegener specifically used rock composition and mountain ranges to provide evidence of continental drift. Continental drift describes one of the earliest ways geologists thought continents moved over time. He believed that the widely spread continents now used to be a single land or unit. similar fossils found on different continents, This site is using cookies under cookie policy . Where this is the case, the lithospheric plates separate, and the upwelling mantle material forms new ocean floor along the trailing edges. An example of this is the earliest known reptile, the mesosaurus. There are positive and negatives in the geographies of Africa. Despite Wegeners effort to try to prove his theory of continental drift, it was never accepted. In terms of rock composition, at locations where continents match up, the kinds of rocks on the opposite sides of the continents were of the same kind. The direction of their magnetization is the same as the direction of Earths magnetic field at the time and place of crystallization. Omissions? Mountains are typically formed when two opposite land masses collide with each other triggering the rock found at the point of collision to fold or bulge upwards. They based their idea of continental drift on several lines of evidence: fit of the continents paleoclimate indicators truncated geologic features and fossils. 6014 , CY. Around 66 million to 30 million years ago it is believed Laurasia fragmented into the continents in the northern hemisphere we know today. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. . We can also see that the basaltic rock gets older the further we travel from the mid Atlantic ridge, showing that new basaltic rock is made as the magma rises from the diverging plates. Subsequent plate movements averaging about 2 cm (0.8 inch) per year have taken the continents to their present position. How does this document help us answer the question: Observable evolution on small timescales. What was the name of the reptile that Wegners found in both South America and Africa? Continental drift was a theory that explained how continents shift position on Earths surface. 5. For example, the continents of South America and Africa fit perfectly when brought together. Contact Us . . It has affected the global climate, the worlds geographical positions and the evolution of animals. 2. Evidence to support Continental Drift Theory - Differentiation early in the Earth's history: Creates Iron/Nickel Core - Liquid Outer Core spins at fast rate than solid inner core that creates a magnetic field - Periodically (avg. It does not store any personal data. Some of the fossil evidence discovered on the continents includes mesosaurus, lystosaurus, cygnognathus and glossopteris. 1. Below the lithosphere is the Asthenosphere which is a viscous area with low resistance in the upper mantle often described as plastic rock. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 3. Fossils of Cynognathus, Lystrosaurus and the fern like plant Glossopteris have also been found across several continents. Today we know that the continents rest on massive slabs of rock called tectonic plates. What Evidence Supports The Theory Of Continental Drift? Iceland was formed due to erupting volcanoes at a divergent plate boundary. Alfred Wegeners Evidence of Continental Drift Theory. One indication of this possibility is the appearance of the western African and eastern South American coasts, which look like two interlocking jigsaw puzzle pieces. As they collide, the pacific plate is subducted under the continental Eurasian plate. What is the five evidence of continental drift? Answer (1 of 3): Continental drift is not a theory, it is a measured fact. The first truly detailed and comprehensive theory of continental drift was proposed in 1912 by Alfred Wegener, a German meteorologist. By the late 1960s, several American investigators, among them Jack E. Oliver and Bryan L. Isacks, had integrated this notion of seafloor spreading with that of drifting continents and formulated the basis of plate tectonic theory. What does the theory of continental drift state? Temperature and pressure both increase with depth. Studies by Runcorn of the remanent magnetism in suitable rocks of different ages from Europe produced a polar wandering curve indicating that the magnetic poles were in different places at different times. Fossil records are strong evidence that the continents do drift. Convergent boundaries can also occur between two continental plates. Glossopteris ferns had very heavy seeds that could not move by wind or drift on ocean currents. Set forth in 1912 by Alfred Wegener a geophysicist and meteorologist continental drift also explained why look-alike animal and plant fossils and similar rock formations are found on different continents. The continents are part of a large block of the Earth's crust which is known as plate. For millions of years, all the land of Earth was joined together in a supercontinent, which is known as Pangaea. Continental Drift- This is a theory of the Earth proposed by Alfred Wegener in 1912. The puzzle-like fit of the continents especially Africa and South America. The geomorphology textbooks focusses on the detailed processes which takes places in the weathering of rocks and the transport of debris as landforms are created and destroyed. none of the above. Holmes' theories have continued to be . Which means Antarctica must have had a much warmer climate at one point, supporting Wegners theory of Continental drift. What key evidence supports the hypothesis of continental drift? The possibility that they might reflect true wander of the poles was discarded, because it implies separate wanderings of many magnetic poles over the same period. Continents fit like Puzzle Pieces. What Evidence Supports The Theory Of Continental Drift. How is plate tectonics supported by the apparent fit of the continental coastline? Destruction happens when one plate moves below the other at convergent boundaries. Ultimately, Africa has a beautiful context of life and history behind its luscious trees. As they are the same density, they break when they collide and are forced upwards instead. It seems likely, though it is still unproven, that this breakup of a single landmass and the drifting of its fragments is merely the latest in a series of similar occurrences throughout geologic time. The ocean floor is thus pushed at right angles and in opposite directions away from the crests. (Yes. Volcanoes are distributed randomly on every continent. 4 What are 5 pieces of evidence of continental drift? Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. As the plates pulled apart from each other millions of years ago it caused earthquakes which led to magma rising from the mantle and erupting through the crust forming the Mid Atlantic Ridge as it solidified, this is called sea floor spreading as it is an example of two oceanic plates pulling away from each other. What two pieces of evidence did Wegener discover that supported the idea of Pangaea quizlet? The general response to Wegener's hypothesis, however, was disbelief. Aside from the congruency of continental shelf margins across the Atlantic, modern proponents of continental drift have amassed impressive geologic evidence to support their views. Which statement best supports the theory of continental drift? However, he supported his theory by explaining the earth's geologic history. How did the alliance system lead to World War 1? Wegener said that continents move around on Earth's surface and that they were once joined together as a single supercontinent. 1,6A), first named by a German meteorologist, Alfred Wegner in 1912. Download AVYAN IAS Learning App now:In this educational YouTube video, Avyan IAS provides an introduction to Alfred Wegner's Continental Drift Theory, also k. Islands along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge with rocks dating back from 542 million to 2500 million years ago. fossil. This essay is available online and was probably used by another student. 2 What are some of the major pieces of evidence for the theory of plate tectonics? Papers provided by EduBirdie writers usually outdo students' samples. What supports Wegeners theory of plate tectonics? What evidence indicated scientists that the continents were once connected? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Laurasia contained the land masses in the northern hemisphere such as North America, Europe and Asia. Which is an example of geological fit evidence? What observations about landforms best supports the theory of plate tectonics? Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Which of the following statements best describes the theory of continental drift? This concept was an important precursor to the development of the theory of plate tectonics, which incorporates it. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Terms of Use, Evidence in Support of the Continental Drift: Analytical Essay., Evidence in Support of the Continental Drift: Analytical Essay [Internet]. Together these discoveries supported the existence of Pangea. What evidence supports the theory of continental drift quizlet? Which statement best supports the theory of continental drift quizlet? What are the 5 evidences of continental drift? 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