what is continental drift theory
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- CONTINENTAL DRIFT. Go to an interactive plate tectonics puzzle. Go to a printable quiz on continental drift. In 1915, the German geologist and meteorologist Alfred Wegener first proposed the theory of continental drift, which states that parts of the Earth's crust slowly drift atop a liquid core. The fossil record supports and gives credence to the theories of continental drift and plate tectonics.
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High School Earth Science/Continental Drift An important piece of plate tectonic theory is the continental drift idea. This was developed in the early part of the 20 th century, mostly by a single scientist, Alfred Wegener.lthough Wegener's evidence was sound, most geologists at the time rejected his hypothesis of continental drift. These scientists argued that there was no way to explain how solid continents could plow through solid oceanic crust.
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Continental drift Continental drift is the movement of the Earth's continents relative to each other, thus appearing to drift across the ocean bed. The speculation that continents might have 'drifted' was first put forward by Abraham Ortelius in 1596. second problem was that Wegener's estimate of the velocity of continental motion, 250 cm/year, was implausibly high. (The currently accepted rate for the separation of the Americas from Europe and Africa is about 2.5 cm/year). And it did not help that Wegener was not a geologist.
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fionamariecarter Wegener went further by developing his “Continental Drift” theory. Wegener’s Continental Drift theory, although inaccurate, paved the way for the modern theory of plate tectonics. Wegener suggested that the continents had, in the past, all been joined together into a giant super-continent – which was later labelled as Pangea (Ancient Greek for Entire Earth) and that continents were moving away from each other toward the equator due to centafugal force from the earths rotation.
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wegener's theory Alfred Wegener (1880 - 1930). Alfred Wegener proposed the theory of continental drift at the beginning of the 20th century. His idea was that the Earth's continents were once joined together, but gradually moved apart over millions of years.efore Wegener. Before Wegener developed his theory, it was thought that mountains formed because the Earth was cooling down, and in doing so contracted. This was believed to form wrinkles, or mountains, in the Earth's crust.
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What is continental drift? Continental drift theory has been replaced by the science of plate tectonics, an all inclusive explanation of the process of continent movements, crust creation, lithologies, subduction, the rock cycle, and so on.The engine behind plate tectonics is heat from the interior of the Earth.ontinental drift referred to the concept that the Earth's continents were once part of a large supercontinent and had subsequently split apart and arrived at their present destinations.
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Continental Drift: Theory & Definition Continental drift was a theory that explained how continents shift position on Earth's surface. Set forth in 1912 by Alfred Wegener, a geophysicist and meteorologist, continental drift also explained why look-alike animal and plant fossils, and similar rock formations, are found on different continents.
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- We are not sure when this process began. Continental drift squashes and changes the continents so much that it is very hard to work out their early history. Continental drift is still happening today and is important because it causes volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis. Some people also think that it is one cause of ice ages. Today the theory of plate tectonics, which includes continental drift, forms a framework for the study of geology and the Earth. For the evidence that continental drift is happening, click here.
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Continental Drift: Theory & Definition Continental drift was a theory that explained how continents shift position on Earth's surface. Set forth in 1912 by Alfred Wegener, a geophysicist and meteorologist, continental drift also explained why look-alike animal and plant fossils, and similar rock formations, are found on different continents.vidence for continental drift. A map of the continents inspired Wegener's quest to explain Earth's geologic history. Trained as a meteorologist, he was intrigued by the interlocking fit of Africa's and South America's shorelines.
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Alfred Wegenerâs Continental Drift Hypothesis From 1912, Wegener publicly advocated the theory of “continental drift”, arguing that all the continents were once joined together in a single landmass and have drifted apart. He supposed the cause might be the centrifugal force of the Earth’s rotation (“Polflucht”) or the astronomical precession.
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What is Continental Drift Theory? The continental drift theory is the theory that once all the continents were joined in a super-continent, which scientists call Pangaea. Over a vast period of time, the continents drifted apart to their current locations.Alfred Wegener first supported continental drift.Wegener’s explanation of continental drift in 1912 was that drifting occurred because of the earth’s rotation. This explanation and his theory were not widely accepted.Prior to Wegener, however, many had noted that the shapes of the continents seem to fit together, suggesting some schism in the past.he continental drift theory is the theory that once all the continents were joined in a super-continent, which scientists call Pangaea. Over a vast period of time, the continents drifted apart to their current locations.
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Continental Drift: Theory & Definition The incredible shrinking plant. When Wegener proposed continental drift, many geologists were contractionists. They thought Earth's incredible mountains were created because our planet was cooling and shrinking since its formation, Frankel said.
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Continental Drift Theory and Plate Tectonic Theory These pieces slowly assumed their present positions as the continents. PLATE TECTONIC THEORY. Plate tectonics is the theory that the outer rigid layer of the earth (the lithosphere) is divided into a couple of dozen plates that move around across the earth's surface relative to each other, like slabs of ice on a lake. There are seven or eight major plates and many minor plates.
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- Alfred Wegener was the scientist who proposed the Continental Drift Theory in the early twentieth century. Simply put, his hypothesis proposed that the continents had once been joined, and over time had drifted apart.
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What is Continental Drift Theory? The continental drift theory is the theory that once all the continents were joined in a super-continent, which scientists call Pangaea. Over a vast period of time, the continents drifted apart to their current locations. Alfred Wegener first supported continental drift.Wegener’s explanation of continental drift in 1912 was that drifting occurred because of the earth’s rotation. This explanation and his theory were not widely accepted.d. Continental drift theory also gained in popularity because of the theory of plate tectonics. Briefly, plate tectonics suggests that the ocean floor began to spread and that the continents existed on “plates” that moved in response to the changing ocean floor.
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Continental drift Antonio Snider-Pellegrini's Illustration of the closed and opened Atlantic Ocean (1858). Continental drift is the movement of the Earth's continents relative to each other, thus appearing to drift across the ocean bed.The speculation that continents might have 'drifted' was first put forward by Abraham Ortelius in 1596.ntonio Snider-Pellegrini's Illustration of the closed and opened Atlantic Ocean (1858). Continental drift is the movement of the Earth's continents relative to each other, thus appearing to drift across the ocean bed.
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Continental Drift: Theory & Definition Although Wegener's continental drift theory was discarded, it did introduce the idea of moving continents to geoscience. And decades later, scientists would confirm some of Wegener's ideas, such as the past existence of a supercontinent joining all the world's landmasses as one.Pangaea was a supercontinent that formed roughly 300 million years ago, and was responsible for the fossil and rock clues that led Wegener to his theory.late tectonics is the widely accepted theory that Earth's crust is fractured into rigid, moving plates. In the 1950s and 1960s, scientists discovered the plate edges through magnetic surveys of the ocean floor and through the seismic listening networks built to monitor nuclear testing.
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Continental drift This article is about the development of the continental drift hypothesis before 1958. For the contemporary theory, see plate tectonics. For the Russell Banks novel, see Continental Drift (novel). For the fourth film in the Ice Age franchise, see Ice Age: Continental Drift.
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continental drift (Geological Science) geology the theory that the earth's continents move gradually over the surface of the planet on a substratum of magma. The present-day configuration of the continents is thought to be the result of the fragmentation of a single landmass, Pangaea, that existed 200 million years ago.
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Origins of Plate Tectonic Theory Summary. The theory of continental drift was the first step toward plate tectonic theory, which became the foundation upon which modern geology is built. This module describes how the work of Alfred Wegener, Harry Hess, and others led to our understanding of plate tectonics. It explains plate tectonics as the driving force behind ongoing changes on Earth.
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- The Theory of Continental Drift by Kenn Oberrecht German meteorologist Alfred Wegener wasn't the first to observe similarities among the continents that suggested the landmasses might have once been connected.he Theory of Continental Drift by Kenn Oberrecht German meteorologist Alfred Wegener wasn't the first to observe similarities among the continents that suggested the landmasses might have once been connected.
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- The Theory of Continental Drift A German scientist named Alfred Wegener formed the hypothesis that the continents had moved! He proposed that all the continents had once been joined together in a single landmass and have since drifted apart.Wegener named this supercontinent Pangea.he Theory of Continental Drift Wegener’s idea that the continents slowly moved over the earth became known as continental drift. Unfortunately Wegener could not provide a satisfactory explanation for the force that pushed or pull the continents.
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- Continental Drift is the theory describing the movement of the continents that is result of plates in the Earth’s crust that move.The movement of these plates is known as plate tectonics. Tweet. About The Author Matt Slick is the President and Founder of the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry.ontinental Drift is the theory describing the movement of the continents that is result of plates in the Earth’s crust that move.
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What Evidence Is There of the Continental Drift Theory? Another indication of continental drift is tectonic activity and seafloor spreading. Scientists agree that continents rest on rocks called tectonic plates, which shift and move. Sea floor spreading further supports the continental drift theory. As molten rock rises from the Earth, it forms new crust between the plates. When this occurs, the sea floor grows wider, pushing the two continents apart.
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- This lent further support to A. Wegener's Continental Drift Theory. Earth's Plates: The Earth's crust is divided into huge, thick plates that drift atop the soft mantle. The plates are made of rock and are from 50 to 250 miles (80 to 400 km) thick. They move both horizontally and vertically.