Pangea & Evidence for Plate Tectonics

Who came up with the idea that all the continents were once joined together?

• Albert Einstein

• Alfred Wegener

• Charles Darwin

• Werner Heisenberg

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-5

According to the theory of continental drift, why do the coastlines of Africa and South America appear to fit together so well?

• Africa and South America used to be joined together, but split apart long ago.

• Africa and South America are drifting towards each other and will soon fit together perfectly.

• Ocean currents on either side of the Atlantic have eroded the coastlines into the same shape.

• The theory does not explain why the coastlines seem to match.

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

What evidence supports the idea that all the continents were once joined together?

• Similar rocks found on different continents.

• Mountains created by colliding continents.

• Evidence of glaciers in unexpected places.

• All of the above

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Lystrosaurus was a slow-moving, plant-eating reptile that lived over 250 million years ago. Fossils of Lystrosaurus have been found in the brown areas shown below (The brown areas are on Africa, Antarctica, and India). How is this explained by the existence of Pangaea?

• Lystrosaurus swam across the oceans from one continent to another.

• Lystrosaurus drifted on rafts of vegetation from one continent to another.

• Bridges once crossed oceans to connect Africa, Antarctica, and India.

• Africa, Antarctica, and India used to be joined together into a single landmass.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

The map shows white areas that used to be covered by glaciers. Arrows show directions that glaciers moved. Based on the arrows, which red point was probably closest to the South Pole at the time of Pangaea?

(Model description: The continents shown are South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia, and the subcontinent India. All the plates where more south. The African plate had glaciers move in both directions. South America had glaciers move West. The glaciers on Australia and India moved East. The glaciers didn't move in Antarctica. Point A is in the middle of South America, while Point B is at the end of it. Point C is towards the end of Africa and Point D is on the coast of Antarctica).

• Point A

• Point B

• Point C

• Point D

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

What kind of boundary or zone is shown in the image below?

(Model description: in the model the two plates are moving away from each other or dividing).

• Subduction zone

• Collision zone

• Divergent boundary

• Transform boundary

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Which type of plate boundary or zone would be most likely to lead to above-ground volcanic activity?

• Subduction zone

• Divergent boundary

• Collision zone

• Transform boundary

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

Which boundary or zone adds new material to the lithosphere (the hard outer crust of the Earth)?

• Subduction zone

• Divergent boundary

• Collision zone

• Transform boundary

In what way does a transform boundary differ from the other boundary types?

• Transform boundaries are always found on the ocean floor.

• Transform boundaries can result in volcanic activity.

• At a transform boundary, one plate slides beneath the other.

• At a transform boundary, the plates move in a direction that is parallel to the boundary line.

The highest mountains in the world are the Himalayas, at the border between the Indian and Eurasian plates. The Himalayas formed in a ________________.

• subduction zone

• divergent boundary

• collision zone

• transform boundary

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3