continental drift theory

• Continental drift theory


  • Movement of Earth's continents relative to each other, drifting across the ocean bed
  • Published in book "Origin of Continents and Oceans" by Alfred Wegener
• Terms


  • Pangea: one earth
  • Panthalassa: one water
  • Laurasia: North
  • Gondwanaland: South
• Alfred Wegener


  • 1880 - 1930
  • German meteorologist, studied weather and atmosphere
  • Developed continental drift theory
• Evidences for continental drifttheory


  • Topographic
  • Fossil correlation
  • Rock formation
  • Paleoclimatic
• Topographic evidence


  • Continents seemed to fit together
  • "Good fit" suggested continents were once connected
  • Pieced together South America and Africa
• Fossil correlation evidence


  • Glossopteris found in all southern continents
  • European flora found in Europe and other areas
  • Mesosaurus found in South America and Africa
  • Cynognathus found in South America and Africa
  • Lystrosaurus found in Africa, India, Antarctica
• Fossil correlation evidence (Glossopteris fossil)


  • Before Pangea separated, similar layer of rocks was formed in Antarctica, Australia, South America, Africa, India
  • Found in the rocks of continents
• Rock formation evidence (Gondwana sequence)

  • Identical pattern of rock and fossils in Southern hemisphere continents
  • Rocks had the same age and type
• Rock formation evidence (Mountain ranges)

  • US mountains are similar to Greenland and European mountains
  • US: Appalachian Mountains, Europe: Caledonian mountains
• Paleoclimatic evidence


  • Glacial till deposits found in northern and southern latitudes
  • Coal deposits in Antarctica made of tropical plants
  • Moraine and till found in deserts
  • Glacial striations on rocks
• Glacier


  • Franz Josef Glacier in New Zealand
• What was wrong with continental drift theory?

  How continents moved was not explained, theory was too weak for geologists to accept
• Fossil correlation is because of land bridges, explanations clashed with accepted ideas
• Original name for continent

  • Urkontinent in German: first or original continent
  • Pangea: all lands in Greek
• Wegener wasn't able to see his theory gain acceptance, died in 1930 at 50 from heart failure
• In 1950's, new evidences emerged to support his theory and develop a new one