Continental DriftMonday, January 23, 2012

What planet is this?

What planet is this?

How do we know that the planet looked this way?

What is Continental Drift?

• The hypothesis that the continents were once together in a single landmass and later broke up and drifted to their present locations

• Proposed by Alfred Wegener in 1912

Evidence to Support the Theory

What evidence supported Continental Drift?

1. Jigsaw Puzzle Fit:

Continents look like they could fit together like puzzle pieces

What evidence supported Continental Drift?

2. Fossils:

Matching plant and animal fossils were found on the coastlines of different continents

What evidence supported Continental Drift?

3. Rock Formations:

-Ages and types of rocks matched across oceans

-Mountain chains seemed to continue from one continent to another

What evidence supported Continental Drift?

4. Ancient Climates: -Tropical plant remains

(coal deposits) found in Antarctica (cold places)

-Evidence of glaciers in Africa, South America, India, and Australia (warm places)

Continental Drift Ms. GromJanuary 24, 2012

Earth Science

What is Continental Drift (CD)?

What evidence supports CD?

=The hypothesis that the continents were once together in a single landmass and later broke up and drifted to their present locations•Proposed by Alfred Wegener in 1912

1. Jigsaw Puzzle Fit: Continents look like they could fit together like puzzle pieces

2. Fossils: Matching plant and animal fossils were found on the coastlines of different continents

3. Rock Formations: 1) Ages and types of rocks matched across oceans 2) Mountain chains seemed to continue from one continent to another

4. Ancient Climates: evidence of former tropical plant in cold places; evidence of glaciers in warm places

Problems With The Theory

• No mechanism for movement of continents

• Wind and currents could possibly move fossils

• Theory was not accepted by scientists