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Continental drift theory

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Continental Drift Theory - Alfred Wegener | Pangea | Gondwanaland

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Alfred Wegener

Alfred Wegener's Education and Career

He graduated from the top of his class and was academically set up to attend university. In 1899, at age 18, Wegener started his first year at the University of Berlin. There, he continued to study physical and Earth science, specializing in astronomy, meteorology, and physics.

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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. He called this movement continental drif

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Alfred Wegener was born in Berlin in 1880, where his father was a minister who ran an orphanage. From an early age he took an interest in Greenland, and always walked, skated, and hiked as though training for an expedition. He studied in Germany and Austria, receiving his PhD in astronomy.

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Continental drift theory of Alfred Wegener 

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Continental drift theory of Alfred Wegener 

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The continental drift theory states the movement of tectonic plates, which drift apart from the land which sits on top, is the cause for this shift. When the land spread apart, it formed individual smaller landmasses known as continents. Continental drifts are caused by the spreading of the seafloor.

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The theory of continental drift is most associated with the scientist Alfred Wegener. 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.Oct 19, 2023

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The new continental drift

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Evidence

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Evidence of this theory PANGAEA

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By: Earth How · Last Updated: June 22, 2020

At one point in time, all continents were merged together as one supercontinent.

This supercontinent "Pangaea" (sometimes spelled Pangea) eventually tore apart from continental drift. But it took millions of years to do this.

So how do we know that Pangaea existed?

There were several clues that led to the discovery of the Pangea supercontinent.

For example, we can connect the pieces today and see how remarkably well they fit. Also, we can examine the fossils we find today on each continent and check for resemblances.

What are the clues that Pangaea existed?

The first clue that continents were all connected is how they fit like a jigsaw puzzle

Like a jigsaw puzzle, the Earth's crust has 15 or 20 separate pieces of minor and major plate tectonics. These pieces are the plate tectonics that ride on soft melted rock underneath.

All continents were together as a supercontinent (Pangaea). Over time, these continents have broken apart and moved apart through continental drift.

But it wasn't until we started exploring beneath the oceans until we realized the vast chains of mount on the ocean sea floor. These ridges and trenches are scars from opening up of plates at ridges.

It was the first piece of evidence that continents are embedded in something bigger. In fact, they are being pulled and dragged like they are on giant conveyor belts.

Now, we know they were once together because it's not only that continents fit together, but the same types of rocks are on the west coast of Africa and the east coast of South America.

How does fossil evidence prove continental drift?

After the mass extinction of dinosaurs, geologists have dug up fossils from around the world. They've kept a thorough record documenting the species and location.

Geologists found two very interesting facts:

The first thing geologists found was that some dinosaurs were better suited for water, air and land. During the era of dinosaurs, pterodactyls preyed upon fish from the sky. But the lystrosaurus was a herbivore and ate small plants on land.

The second thing geologists uncovered was the distribution of fossils on land. For instance, they found lystrosaurus fossils in India, Africa and Antarctica.

So how can land herbivores exist on separate continents?

What did the fossil evidence show?

We know that land herbivores couldn't fly. Nor we're they capable of swimming.

The reason is because Earth existed as one giant supercontinent Pangaea. But over time, the land masses separated apart into the 7 continents and 5 oceans that we see today.

Now we know that plate tectonics was the mechanism that tore continents apart.

Because of the fossil evidence, we know the Mesozoic Era experienced significant continental rift.

What kind of rocks contain fossils?

Sedimentary rocks are the only type of rocks that may contain fossils. If you see a rock with a fossil, you can automatically assume that it is a sedimentary rock.

This is because the process of formation for igneous and metamorphic rocks involve heat or pressure that fossils would be completely erased.

These are the rocks that can incorporate bones, shells and exoskeletons from living organisms such as shells which are compacted sea creatures.

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Pangea Fossils: Evidence of the Pangaea Supercontinent - Earth How

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By: Earth How · Last Updated: June 22, 2020 At one point in time, all continents were merged together as one supercontinent. This supercontinent "Pangaea" (sometimes spelled Pangea) eventually tore apart from continental drift. But it took millions of years to do this. So how do we know that Pangaea existed?

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From about 300-200 million years ago (late Paleozoic Era until the very late Triassic), the continent we now know as North America was contiguous with Africa, South America, and Europe. They all existed as a single continent called Pangea. Pangea first began to be torn apart when a three-pronged fissure grew between Africa, South America, and North America. Rifting began as magma welled up through the weakness in the crust, creating a volcanic rift zone. Volcanic eruptions spewed ash and volcanic debris across the landscape as these severed continent-sized fragments of Pangea diverged. The gash between the spreading continents gradually grew to form a new ocean basin, the Atlantic. The rift zone known as the mid-Atlantic ridge continued to provide the raw volcanic materials for the expanding ocean basin.

Meanwhile, North America was slowly pushed westward away from the rift zone. The thick continental crust that made up the new east coast collapsed into a series of down-dropped fault blocks that roughly parallel today's coastline. At first, the hot, faulted edge of the continent was high and buoyant relative to the new ocean basin. As the edge of North America moved away from the hot rift zone, it began to cool and subside beneath the new Atlantic Ocean. This once-active divergent plate boundary became the passive, trailing edge of westward moving North America. In plate tectonic terms, the Atlantic Plain is known as a classic example of a passive continental margin.

Today, the Mesozoic and Cenozoic sedimentary rock layers that lie beneath much of the coastal plain and fringing continental shelf remain nearly horizontal.

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Pangea first began to be torn apart when a three-pronged fissure grew between Africa, South America, and North America. Rifting began as magma welled up through the weakness in the crust, creating a volcanic rift zone.

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