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Questions and Answers
What is the main cause of continental drift according to the continental drift theory?
What is the main cause of continental drift according to the continental drift theory?
Who was the key theorist behind the continental drift hypothesis?
Who was the key theorist behind the continental drift hypothesis?
What did Alfred Wegener call the single supercontinent that he proposed existed before breaking apart?
What did Alfred Wegener call the single supercontinent that he proposed existed before breaking apart?
What did some scientists believe about the position of continents contrary to Wegener's theory?
What did some scientists believe about the position of continents contrary to Wegener's theory?
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What did Wegener estimate was the age of the fragmentation of Pangea?
What did Wegener estimate was the age of the fragmentation of Pangea?
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What causes the landmasses or continents to drift and move apart from one another according to the text?
What causes the landmasses or continents to drift and move apart from one another according to the text?
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What are individual smaller landmasses formed when the land spread apart known as?
What are individual smaller landmasses formed when the land spread apart known as?
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What was the name of the large landmass proposed by Alfred Wegener?
What was the name of the large landmass proposed by Alfred Wegener?
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In which year did Alfred Wegener first propose the theory of continental drift?
In which year did Alfred Wegener first propose the theory of continental drift?
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Where did Alfred Wegener receive his doctorate degree?
Where did Alfred Wegener receive his doctorate degree?
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What was the primary reason for the rejection of Alfred Wegener's theory by other scientists?
What was the primary reason for the rejection of Alfred Wegener's theory by other scientists?
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What type of fossils were found in both Antarctica and southern Africa, supporting the concept of continental drift?
What type of fossils were found in both Antarctica and southern Africa, supporting the concept of continental drift?
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What was Alfred Wegener's area of expertise when he graduated with his doctorate degree?
What was Alfred Wegener's area of expertise when he graduated with his doctorate degree?
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Which geological phenomenon provided evidence for Alfred Wegener's theory?
Which geological phenomenon provided evidence for Alfred Wegener's theory?
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What was the primary reason for the resurfacing and acceptance of Alfred Wegener's theory in the 1960s?
What was the primary reason for the resurfacing and acceptance of Alfred Wegener's theory in the 1960s?
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Study Notes
Continental Drift Theory
- The main cause of continental drift is not explicitly stated in the text, but it suggests that the landmasses or continents drift and move apart from one another due to unknown forces.
Alfred Wegener and Continental Drift Hypothesis
- Alfred Wegener was the key theorist behind the continental drift hypothesis.
- He proposed that all continents were once joined together in a single supercontinent, which he called Pangea.
- Some scientists believed that the continents were fixed and unmoving, contrary to Wegener's theory.
Fragmentation of Pangea
- Wegener estimated that the fragmentation of Pangea occurred around 200-300 million years ago.
Landmasses and Continental Drift
- When the land spread apart, smaller individual landmasses were formed, known as continents.
- Wegener proposed that these landmasses drifted and moved apart from one another.
Wegener's Background and Contributions
- Alfred Wegener first proposed the theory of continental drift in 1912.
- He received his doctorate degree from the University of Berlin.
- Wegener's area of expertise was in astronomy when he graduated with his doctorate degree.
Reception and Acceptance of Wegener's Theory
- The primary reason for the rejection of Wegener's theory by other scientists was due to a lack of a plausible mechanism for the movement of the continents.
- The discovery of identical fossils in both Antarctica and southern Africa provided evidence for Wegener's theory.
- The geological phenomenon of mid-ocean ridges and seafloor spreading provided further evidence for Wegener's theory.
- The primary reason for the resurfacing and acceptance of Wegener's theory in the 1960s was the development of plate tectonics.
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Description
Test your knowledge about the continental drift hypothesis and the movement of tectonic plates that led to the formation of individual landmasses. Explore the theory of how the continents were once joined in a large landmass and later drifted into their current positions.
