Geology 2B: Drifting Continents

Front

Who proposed the theory of Continental Drift?

Back

Alfred Wegener

Front

What did Wegener's evidence challenge?

Back

The belief that the continents were fixed and immovable.

Front

Why was Wegener's hypothesis of continental drift rejected by geologists?

Back

Wegener could not describe what force was moving the continents.

Front

In what year did Christopher Columbus journey to the New World?

Back

1492

Front

What did further research in plate tectonics confirm about Wegener's theories?

Back

Wegener's theories were correct.

Front

What is Continental Drift?

Back

The theory that continents have moved over geological time from a single supercontinent.

Front

What is the significance of Alfred Wegener in geology?

Back

He introduced the idea of Continental Drift, which laid the groundwork for modern plate tectonics.

Front

What evidence did Wegener use to support his theory?

Back

Fossil records, geological similarities, and the fit of continental coastlines.

Front

What is plate tectonics?

Back

The scientific theory that describes the large-scale movements of Earth's lithosphere.

Front

What is a supercontinent?

Back

A landmass that contains all or most of the Earth's continental blocks.