Continental Drift and Plate Tectonics

The theory of continental drift is the idea that the Earth's continents were once joined together as a single landmass and have since drifted apart.

The continents look like puzzle pieces because they were once joined together and have since separated.

People have known about the idea of continents fitting together for hundreds of years.

<p>Some specific parts of the world where continents appear to fit together are the eastern coast of South America and the west coast of Africa.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The brave scientists who studied the theory of continental drift were not mentioned in the text.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The theory of continental drift suggests that the Earth's continents were once joined together in a single supercontinent, which later broke apart and drifted to their current positions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The theory of continental drift was first proposed by Alfred Wegener, a German meteorologist and geophysicist, in the early 20th century.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The evidence supporting the theory of continental drift includes the fit of the continents, the matching of rock formations and fossils across different continents, and the presence of ancient climate indicators.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The theory of continental drift revolutionized our understanding of Earth's history by providing a mechanism for explaining the formation of mountains, the distribution of fossils, and the occurrence of earthquakes and volcanic activity.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The theory of continental drift is widely accepted by the scientific community and serves as the foundation for the modern theory of plate tectonics.</p> Signup and view all the answers