CONTINENTAL DRIFT THEORY

Alfred Lothar Wegener

 A German polar researcher, geophysicist, and

meteorologist.
 Developed a theory to explain his observation
that at one time all the continents were a part
of one large landmass called PANGAEA.
 Suggested that the parts of Pangaea drifted to
their present position. He called his idea as the
CONTINENTAL DRIFT THEORY.
Evidence of continental drift theory

a.Geological Fit Evidence

b.Fossil Evidence
Geological “Fit” Evidence
 is the matching of large-scale
geological feature on different
continents.
 Geological “fit” evidence
Matching mountain chains different
Same rock types different continents.
continents.
Fossil Evidence
Fossil – are the remains or traces of plant or animal
life, usually preserved in rocks and sedimentary.
Fossil evidence
 Same Fossils different continents
 Plant fossils in polar region
 Coal deposits in polar region
 Permian period (286 to 258 million
Mesosaurus years ago),

is known to have been a type of reptile,

similar to the modern crocodile, which
propelled itself through the water with
its long hind legs and limber tail.
 Triassic period (250 to 240 million
Cynognathus years ago)

was a mammal-like reptile as

large as a modern wolf.
Lystrosaurus
which translates to "shovel reptile,"
is thought to have been a herbivore
with a stout built like a pig.
Glossopteris
the most important fossil
evidence found in the plant,
SEAFLOOR SPREADING
Seafloor Spreading and Magnetic Reversal
The idea of continental drift circulated in scientific
circles until World War II, when sounding gear called
SONAR produced new evidence of what the seafloor
looked like. The gear, developed in the 1930s,
bounced sound waves off the seafloor to determine
its depth and features.
The command of a attack
transport ship, the USS
Cape Johnson, was given to
Harry Hammond Hess, a
geologist from Princeton
university.
 Seafloor Spreading
“Hot less dense material from below the earth’s
crust rises towards the surface at the mid-ocean
ridge.”
Continental crust to continental crust
collision Before collision

India-Asia (Himalayas)
After collision
from: http://www.geo.lsa.umich.edu/~crlb/COURSES/270
The Mid-Ocean Ridge system, shown above snaking its way between the continents, is more
than 56,000 kilometers (35,000 mi) long. It circles the earth like the stitching on a baseball!
 A convergent
boundary is where
two plates come
together, or
converge. The
result of the
plates hitting
together is called
a collision.
 Plates can also slide past each other.

A transform
boundary is a
place where two
plates slip past
each other,
moving in opposite
directions.
 t a l
ne n
nt i Continen
c o tal crust
st to t o oceanic
l c ru
nt a
ti ne
C on
Oceanic crust to oceanic
This is how the Himalaya Mountains formed

Also the way the Appalachian Mountains formed!

 Because one plate gets pushed under
another, it is called subduction. This
is where volcanoes form!
Oceanic crust
Oceanic crust colliding
colliding with
with continental crust
oceanic crust

all from: http://www.geo.lsa.umich.edu/~crlb/COURSES/270