The continents move

around on Earth’s surface

and that they were once
joined together as a
single supercontinent.

ALFRED WEGENER AND HIS THEORY

OF CONTINENTAL DRIFT
Alfred Wegener
German meteorologist, geophysicist and
polar researcher.

In 1915 he published ‘The Origin of

Continents and Oceans’, which outlined his
theory of Continental Drift.
Evidence of Continental Drift Theory

The Apparent Fit of

the Continents Fossil Correlation

Rock and Mountain

Paleoclimate Data
Correlation
 Evidence of Continental Drift Theory
The Apparent Fit of the Continents

Rock and Mountain

Correlation The coastlines of the continents
appear to fit together like the
Fossil Correlation pieces of a puzzle.

Paleoclimate Date
 Evidence of Continental Drift Theory
Rock and Mountain Correlation

Fossil Correlation Identical rocks and mountain

structures have been found on either
Paleoclimate Data
side of the ocean.

The Apparent Fit of

the Continents
 Evidence of Continental Drift Theory
Fossil Correlation

Paleoclimate Data
Identical fossils have been found in
The Apparent Fit of the rocks on either side of the ocean.
the Continents

Rock and Mountain

Correlation
 Evidence of Continental Drift Theory
Paleoclimate Data

The Apparent Fit of

the Continents Past Climate Data
Rock and Mountain
Correlation ➢ Evidence of glaciers.
➢ Bituminous Coal
Fossil Correlation
HARRY HAMMOND HESS
▪ Professor of geology at Princeton University
(USA).
▪ ‘The History of Ocean Basins' in 1962, in
which he outlined a theory that could
explain how the continents could actually
drift. This theory later became known as
‘Sea Floor Spreading'.
Seafloor Spreading
➢ Explains that molten material moves in at the boundaries between tectonic
plates pushing them apart as new oceanic crust is created.
Seafloor Spreading
Seafloor Spreading
➢ Explains that molten material moves in at the boundaries between tectonic
plates pushing them apart as new oceanic crust is created.

Evidences

• Rocks shaped like • Rocks that make up the • Core samples from the
pillows shows that ocean floor line in a ocean floor show that
molten materials have pattern of magnetized older rocks are found
erupted again and again stripes which hold a farther from the ridge;
from cracks along the record of the reversals youngest rocks are in
mid ocean ridge and in magnetic field. the mid ocean ridge.
cooled quickly.
Molten Magnetic Drilling
Materials Stripes Sample
The Ocean Basin
 Embryonic Ocean
Basin

Suturing
Juvenile Ocean Basin
(Continental Collision)

WILSON CYCLE
Terminal Ocean Basin Mature Ocean Basin

Declining Ocean Basin

WILSON CYCLE
WILSON CYCLE