What does the theory of continental drift explain?
What does the theory of continental drift explain?
Continental drift describes one of the earliest ways geologists thought continents moved over time. Continental drift describes one of the earliest ways geologists thought continents moved over time. Today, the theory of continental drift has been replaced by the science of plate tectonics.
What did Alfred Wegener’s theory of continental drift suggest quizlet?
German scientist who in 1915 proposed a theory about the Earth’s continents – they were all once joined in a large, single land mass. ‘ It means “all lands.” Continental Drift. Alfred Wegener’s theory that the continents moved from one part of the Earth to another.
Who first proposed the theory of continental drift quizlet?
Terms in this set (9) In 1915, the German geologist and meteorologist Alfred Wegener first proposed the theory of continental drift, which states that parts of the Earth’s crust slowly drift atop a liquid core.
What causes continental drift quizlet?
a current caused by the rising of heated fluid and sinking of cooled fluid. The earth’s crust and upper mantle are made of huge plates slowly drifting because of convection currents in the mantle. The mid ocean ridge is a crack in the earth’s crust where molten rock rises and spreads new sea floor.
What are the 5 evidences of continental drift theory?
The evidence for continental drift included the fit of the continents; the distribution of ancient fossils, rocks, and mountain ranges; and the locations of ancient climatic zones.
What are the 4 evidences of continental drift?
They based their idea of continental drift on several lines of evidence: fit of the continents, paleoclimate indicators, truncated geologic features, and fossils.
What is the hypothesis of continental drift quizlet?
What is the continental drift hypothesis? Proposed by Alfred Wegener, it states that Earth’s continents have moved slowly to their current locations. All the continents were once connected as one landmass that broke apart 250 million years ago. This one landmass is called “Pangea,” meaning “all land.”
What are two observations that supported the theory of continental drift?
What is the main difference between Wegener’s continental drift and the theory of plate tectonics quizlet?
Terms in this set (11) What are the differences between Continental Drift and Plate Tectonics? Continental drift believes that the continents moved because the magnetism of the sea floor. Plate tectonics believes that the lithosphere & the asthenosphere of the continents caused them to move.
What is the continental drift theory quizlet?
What is the theory of continental drift? Hypothesis that states that continents once formed a single land mass and broke apart and drifted to their current location.
What was continental drift caused by?
The causes of continental drift are perfectly explained by the plate tectonic theory. The earth’s outer shell is composed of plates that move a little bit every year. Heat coming from the interior of the earth triggers this movement to occur through convection currents inside the mantle.
What are the 4 evidences of continental drift theory?
What evidence is there of the continental drift theory?
Evidence of Continental Drift. Some of the evidence supporting the continental drift of the tectonic plates include the presence of similar animals and plant fossils on the shores of various continents, which suggest that they were once joined. Fossils of a freshwater reptile known as Mesosaurus was found both in South Africa and Brazil.
What is the hypothesis of continental drift?
Continental drift. The continental drift hypothesis was developed in the early 20th century, by Alfred Wegener , who said that continents moved on the Earth’s surface until they came together as a single super continent. Continental drift is a theory that explains how continents manage to change position on the Earth’s surface.
What was Alfred Wegener’s theory of continental drift?
Continental drift was a theory that explained how continents shift position on Earth’s surface. 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.
What is the definition of continental drift theory?
Continental drift is the theory that the Earth’s continents have moved over geologic time relative to each other, thus appearing to have “drifted” across the ocean bed. The speculation that continents might have ‘drifted’ was first put forward by Abraham Ortelius in 1596.
