Continental Drift Continental Drift

Continental Drift Continental Drift • The continents are moving

• At one time all the continents were connected

• Pangaea

Continental DriftContinental Drift

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Continental DriftContinental Drift• 200 million years ago it

began to break apart

• About 2.5 cm/yr

• Became the 7 continents of today

Continental DriftContinental Drift• Alfred Wegener proposed this

idea in 1912• German scientist• Ideas were not accepted at first• Based his theory on 4 pieces of

evidence

Alfred Wegener

1. Continent Shape1. Continent Shape• He noticed many continents

seemed to fit together like a giant jigsaw puzzle

Pangaea

1. Continent Shape1. Continent Shape

2. Fossil Evidence2. Fossil Evidence• Similar animal and plant

fossils discovered in places far apart

• And in matching coastlines on different continents

2. Fossil Evidence2. Fossil Evidence

3. Rock Evidence 3. Rock Evidence • Age and kinds of rocks and

minerals along the edge of one coastline

• Are similar to those on another continent

4. Mountain Evidence 4. Mountain Evidence

• Some mountain ranges on different continents seem to match

• As well as glacier “scars” or marks

4. Mountain Evidence4. Mountain Evidence

4. Glacier Features Evidence

THE END

• Let’s take some notes on continental drift now!