OUTLINE THE EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE THEORIES OF PLATE TECTONICS & CONTINENTAL DRIFT

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OUTLINE THE EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE THEORIES OF PLATE TECTONICS & CONTINENTAL DRIFT

The theory of continental drift is the idea that about 175 million years ago all the continents of the earth were a single giant landmass. Scientists over the years have looked for evidence to support the idea that the land was once joined, and use several points in their investigations. If land once was joined, the rocks should share common characteristics across the original divide. As old as the earth is, there is a probability that the continents have all collided with each other many times. Some scientists believe that the current continents have come together more than once.

Plate tectonics is the theory that Earth's outer layer is made up of many different plates, which have moved around the Earths surface throughout its history. The theory explains the how and why mountains were formed, and also volcanoes, and earthquakes, as well as how similar animals could have lived at the same time on what are now widely separated continents.

                                                   170m years ago               100m years ago              50m years ago                     Earth Today

In 1620 Francis Bacon first realised that there was a resemblance between the west coast of Africa and the east coast of South America and he believed that these continents had once fit together like a jigsaw. Bacon's theory was not taken seriously and had many problems due to the fact that it was only based on Bacon's own vision of the world and the different continents. His theory was too subjective and it was difficult to prove. Later on other scientists could find better ways of showing that there was a similarity between different continents.

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Later in 1912, a German meteorologist named Alfred Wegener published a theory that all the continents as known today were once joined into one super continent named Pangaea which split by unknown means and form 2 more continents named Laurasia and Gondwanaland which then split again to form today’s continents. Wegener collated evidence from several different sciences. He first said that the remains of a small reptile which lived in Permian times had been found in South Africa and South America, also a plant which existed when coal was being formed has also been located in India and Antarctica, also ...

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