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The Theory of Continental Drift

The Theory of Continental Drift. Continental Drift Theory. Proposed by Alfred Wegener in 1912 250 million years ago, all of the continents were combined into one super-continent called “Pangaea” The continents gradually drifted apart to where they are today. Video Link. Alfred Wegener clip.

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The Theory of Continental Drift

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  1. The Theory of Continental Drift

  2. Continental Drift Theory • Proposed by Alfred Wegener in 1912 • 250 million years ago, all of the continents were combined into one super-continent called “Pangaea” • The continents gradually drifted apart to where they are today

  3. Video Link • Alfred Wegener clip

  4. Evidence of Continental Drift Puzzle Pieces • Continents look like they could be part of a giant jigsaw puzzle • Continental shelves of Africa and South America fit together almost perfectly

  5. Distribution of Fossils • The Fossil Record • Glossopteris remains found in SA, Australia, Asia, and Africa, & Antarctica • Fossils of deciduous trees found near North Pole • Coal formation in many parts of the world, but needed to be swampy marshes with lots of rain near the equator

  6. The Evidence • Fossil Evidence

  7. The Evidence • Fossil Evidence

  8. Sequence of Rock Types • The Rock Record • Rocks in Argentina identical to ones in Africa • Diamond rich rocks in South Africa match rocks in Brazil • Coal beds in NA, Britain, and Belgium same • Red sandstone same in NA, Greenland, Britain, Norway

  9. The Evidence Mountain Ranges

  10. Ancient Climates • Tropical plant remains (coal deposits) found in Antarctica • Glaciation in Africa, South America, India, and Australia during the same time

  11. The Evidence • Climatic Evidence • Glacial evidence

  12. Theory of Continental Drift • Vocabulary • Continental shelf – part of a continent that extends under shallow water from the ocean’s edge to the steeper sea floor slope. • Pangaea- all land • Panthalassa – all seas • Theory of Continental Drift – continents were once one landmass that broke apart and moved to present locations.

  13. Evidence of Continental Drift • 1. • 2. • 3. • 4.

  14. Evidence of Continental Drift • 1. Puzzle Pieces – continents fit together like a giant puzzle – esp. SA and Africa • 2. Fossil Record – the same plants, trees, and animals and coal beds occur in different continents • 3. Rock Record – same sequence of rock occurs on different continents, same mountain ranges occur on different continents • 4. Climate – same glaciation marks on different continents some now warm, fossil indicate tropical climates where now cold.

  15. Pangaea

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