Proposed by Alfred Wegener German scientist – 1912 Not accepted by scientific community until 1930’s Theory of Continental Drift All the continents were.

•Proposed by Alfred Wegener

•German scientist – 1912

•Not accepted by scientific community until 1930’s

Theory of Continental DriftTheory of Continental Drift

•All the continents were once joined into a ‘Super Continent’ known as PANGAEA

• This continent has since broken up into the 7 continents we know today

ESRT pg. 9C’mon Rex…you can do it! Jump

boy…jump!Hurry Rex!

Continental Drift EvidenceContinental Drift Evidence

The Continents of the

Earth seem to fit

together like a

jigsaw puzzlejigsaw puzzle

Glacial StriationsGlacial Striations found on edges of continents…where

continents were thought to have been

joined together

Evidence: Ancient ClimatesEvidence: Ancient Climates

Geologists had found glacial till of the same age on several continents.

Fossil Evidence Fossil Evidence

Shows that certain species were only found

in specific areas…they match up if

continents joined

GlossopterisMesosaurus

Mountain RangesMountain Ranges

match up on different continents. Rock types match.

What Pangaea might have looked like.

Earth’s Tectonic PlatesEarth’s Tectonic Plates

• The Earth’s crust and upper mantle are broken into sections called plates

ESRT – Plate Tectonics pg 5

How do the Earth’s Plates move?How do the Earth’s Plates move?

• Convection currents of HOTHOT magma under the Lithosphere push the plates around

• The plates ‘ride’ on the magma like rafts