Continental Drift

Front

What is Continental Drift?

Back

The theory that continents have moved over geological time and were once joined together.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Front

What is Pangaea?

Back

A supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras, where all continents were once connected.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Front

What evidence supports the theory of Continental Drift?

Back

Fossil similarities, geological formations, and glacier scars found on different continents.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Front

Who proposed the theory of Continental Drift?

Back

Alfred Wegener.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Front

Why was Wegener's theory initially rejected?

Back

He could not provide a mechanism for how continents moved.

Front

What are glacier scars?

Back

Marks left on the Earth's surface by the movement of glaciers, indicating past climates.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Front

How do similar fossils in South America and Africa support Continental Drift?

Back

They suggest that these continents were once connected, allowing species to inhabit both areas.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Front

What is the significance of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge?

Back

It is a divergent boundary where new oceanic crust is formed, supporting the idea of sea-floor spreading.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Front

What role do tectonic plates play in Continental Drift?

Back

They are large sections of the Earth's lithosphere that move and interact, causing continents to drift.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Front

What is sea-floor spreading?

Back

The process by which new oceanic crust is created at mid-ocean ridges and older crust is pushed away.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3