Continental Drift and Plate Tectonics

Alfred Wegener: The climate scientist who thought of Continental Drift Theory

Continental Drift Theory: 300 million years ago, all the continents formed a single landmass called Pangaea. The continents split up and have been moving since.

Evidence of Plate Tectonics1. Fit of the Continents

Pan = AllGaea: Earth

Pangaea = "All the Earth" 2. Fossil Evidence

3. Rock Types and Mountain Ranges

4. Ancient Climate EvidenceEvidence of glaciation on tropical continents. Also coal deposits in East Coast of US.

Alfred Wegener could not think of a believable explanation for how the continents moved.

Many people rejected his theory. He died in 1930 before he could get any recognition for his theory.

There are 12 major plates.

Earth's surface is made of thick, solid, moving plates.

These plates are made of the continental crust, or the oceanic crust. Some plates are made of both types of crust.

The plates are slowly moving.

Standard 1.c. Students know lithospheric plates the size of continents and oceans move at rates of centimeters per year in response to movements in the mantle.

Plate Tectonics

PLATE TECTONICS: The theory that describes how the Earth's lithospheric plates move.