Continental Drift Theory Quiz

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.