Continental Drift and Pangaea

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Questions and Answers

Which type of rock is formed from hot, molten rock?

Foliated rock

Sedimentary rock

Igneous rock (correct)

Metamorphic rock

What is a characteristic of sedimentary rocks?

They are always foliated

They are formed from hot, molten rock

They are formed from metamorphism

They can contain fossils (correct)

Which process is required for the formation of metamorphic rocks?

Plate tectonics

Weathering

Continental drift

Pressure (correct)

What is a characteristic of igneous rocks?

They can be classified as intrusive or extrusive Signup and view all the answers

What is a common way to classify igneous rocks?

As intrusive or extrusive Signup and view all the answers

What is a common feature of sedimentary rocks?

They can contain fossils Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary reason for the formation of fold and fault mountains?

heat and pressure Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the process that causes rocks to bend without breaking in fold and fault mountains?

plastic deformation Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the plate boundary where the Indian plate and Eurasian plate collide, resulting in the formation of the Himalayas?

convergent boundary Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the process of rocks being bent and deformed due to tectonic forces?

folding Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the feature formed when rocks are bent upwards in a fold mountain?

anticline Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the process where rocks are broken and deformed due to tectonic forces?

faulting Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the movement of the Earth's crust due to tectonic forces?

plate tectonics Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the process where the Earth's crust is broken and moved due to tectonic forces?

rifting Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the supercontinent hypothesized by Alfred Wegener?

Pangaea Signup and view all the answers

What is the process by which fossils are not formed?

Exposure to decomposers and scavengers Signup and view all the answers

What is the concept that the hypothesized presence of Pangaea best supports?

Continental drift Signup and view all the answers

What is used to develop an idea of what ancient organisms looked like?

A combination of fossil evidence, knowledge of modern animal anatomy, and imagination Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of creating a 3-dimensional model of a fossil?

To determine the location of muscle attachment Signup and view all the answers

What can be inferred about the pattern of fossilized footprints?

Organism 2 changed directions after interacting with organism 1 Signup and view all the answers

What is the process by which fossils are formed?

Quick burial by sediment, followed by replacement by mineral crystals Signup and view all the answers

What is the field of study that focuses on the formation and analysis of fossils?

Paleontology Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Continental Drift and Plate Tectonics

In 1910, Alfred Wegener hypothesized that Earth once consisted of a supercontinent surrounded by water, which he named Pangaea.
The concept of Pangaea supports the idea of continental drift.

Fossil Formation

Fossils are formed when an organism is quickly buried by sediment, becomes trapped in tree resin or sap, or remains are slowly replaced by mineral crystals.
Fossils are not formed when an organism is exposed to decomposers and scavengers.

Fossil Analysis

Paleontologists use a combination of fossil evidence, knowledge of modern animal anatomy, and imagination to develop an idea of what ancient organisms would have looked like.
When creating a 3-dimensional model of a fossil, paleontologists would use their imagination to determine the method of locomotion of the ancient organism.

Rock Types

Igneous rocks form from hot, molten rock.
Sedimentary rocks can contain fossils.
Metamorphic rocks require pressure to be formed.

Rock Composition

Minerals are classified as pure substances.
Rocks are classified as mixtures.
The chocolate chips in a chocolate chip cookie represent minerals, which are classified as pure substances.

Tectonic Plates

The collision of the Indian plate and Eurasian plate most likely resulted in the formation of the Himalayas mountain range.
Fold and fault mountains occur because of heat and pressure, which softens the rock, allowing it to bend without breaking.
The anticline is found at location B in the fold and fault mountain.

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Description

Learn about Alfred Wegener's hypothesis on the existence of a supercontinent, Pangaea, and how it relates to continental drift and plate tectonics.