What evidence did scientists use for continental drift?

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.

How does science prove that the continents are indeed drifting moving?

Fossil Evidence One type of evidence that strongly supported the Theory of Continental Drift is the fossil record. Fossils of similar types of plants and animals in rocks of a similar age have been found on the shores of different continents, suggesting that the continents were once joined.

Which evidence of climate change on continents supports the theory of continental drift?

The fossils of the reptiles Mesosaurus and Lystrosaurus and a fernlike plant called Glossopteris have been found on widely separated landmasses. This convinced Wegener that the continents had once been united. Wegener used evidence from climate change to further support his theory.

What evidence did Wegener rely on in the formulation of his theory of continental drift What evidence did he lack?

Alfred Wegener, in the first three decades of this century, and DuToit in the 1920s and 1930s gathered evidence that the continents had moved. They based their idea of continental drift on several lines of evidence: fit of the continents, paleoclimate indicators, truncated geologic features, and fossils.

How do the continents fit together?

The continents fit together like pieces of a puzzle. Alfred Wegener proposed that the continents were once united into a single supercontinent named Pangaea, meaning all earth in ancient Greek. He suggested that Pangaea broke up long ago and that the continents then moved to their current positions.

What is the force that moves the continents?

The theory of plate tectonics suggests that it is convection currents in the mantle of the earth that causes the movement of the continental plates.

How does climate clues help explain continental drift?

Explain how Wegener used climate clues to support his hypothesis of continental drift? Wegener hypothesized that Spitsbergen drifted from tropical regions to the arctic. Because if the continents were connected at one time, then rocks that make up the continents should be the same in locations where they were joined.

How does climate change evidence support the theory of plate tectonics?

Movement of plate tectonics causes a change in the ocean currents and in turn generates more heat. Conclusively plate tectonic movement result in a change in climate though the rate is slow.

How did Wegener discover continental drift?

Fossils of similar organisms across widely disparate continents encouraged the revolutionary theory of continental drift. In the early 20th century, Wegener published a paper explaining his theory that the continental landmasses were “drifting” across the Earth, sometimes plowing through oceans and into each other.

What are the causes of continental drift?

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 causes continents to move Hess?

As the seafloor spreading occurs, the continents move. As the seafloor spreading occurs, the continents move. Why do rocks on the ocean floor form a pattern of magnetized stripes? – The rocks contain iron that points in the direction the rocks move away from the ridge.

What is continental drift and who discovered it?

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.

Is it possible for a continent to drift?

This could happen only if the crust is moving over the hot spot as a hot spot itself cannot move since it is coming from deep inside of earth. and of course through very accurate GPS positioning. There is no need to summon te science to have a proof for continent’s drifting.

How do you measure continental drift?

Continentral drift can be measured in several ways. One of the easiest is by noting how the American timezones drift in relation to the European time zones. Just by accurately measuring when noon and midnight happen on the various continents. The measuring have to be very accurate though, because the drifting is so very slow.

Why did scientists not accept Wegener’s theory of continental drift?

Scientists did not accept Wegener’s theory of continental drift. One of the elements lacking in the theory was the mechanism for how it works—why did the continents drift and what patterns did they follow? Wegener suggested that perhaps the rotation of the Earth caused the continents to shift towards and apart from each other.