alfred wegener: noticed similarities in the shoreline of continent on both sides of the atlantic...

Alfred Wegener:•Noticed similarities in the shoreline of continent on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, he then began fitting them together.

•Introduced the hypothesis of continental drift.

•Suggested a supercontinent, called Pangaea (meaning "all land"), that broke up millions of years ago, slowly moved to their current positions, and continue to move today.

•DIVERGENT- When two plates move away from each other.

Characteristics:

Mid – ocean ridges (underwater mountain ranges)

Rift Valleys (narrow valleys that form where plates separate), Newest rock material (cooling magma forms new oceanic crust).

•CONVERGENT – When two plates collide.

Characteristics: Mountains, most earthquakes, Volcanoes, and trenches

1.ocean – ocean 2.ocean – continent 3.continent – continent

CONVERGENT

•TRANSFORM – When two plates are moving past each other.

Characteristics: San Andreas Boundary

The Pacific plate and North American plate grind past each other side by side.

AREA WITHIN A PLATE WHERE MAGMA WORKS ITSELF TO THE SURFACE ARE CALLED HOT SPOTS.

HOT SPOTS ARE STATIONARY SO WHEN THE PLATE ABOVE IT MOVES A NEW VOLCANOE FORMS.