The Theory of Continental Drift Continental Drift Discovery.

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The Theory of Continental The Theory of Continental Drift Drift Continental Drift Discovery

Transcript of The Theory of Continental Drift Continental Drift Discovery.

Page 1: The Theory of Continental Drift Continental Drift Discovery.

The Theory of Continental DriftThe Theory of Continental Drift

Continental Drift Discovery

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The WorldThe World

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ALFRED WEGENERALFRED WEGENERTHEORY OF CONTINENTAL THEORY OF CONTINENTAL

DRIFTDRIFTFound evidence for PANGAEA and proposed the theory of continental drift.

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Continental Drift Continental Drift (p95 red book, 182 in Sciencesaurus)(p95 red book, 182 in Sciencesaurus)

• Theory that continents were once part of a single landmass that broke apart and have moved to their present locations.

• can drift apart from one another and have done so in the past

For more information about what the continents looked like throughout the Earth’s History go to:htttp://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/geology/anim1.html

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PangaeaPangaea

Pangaea is the name given to the single landmass that was present 200 million years ago

Can you name the continents in Pangaea?http://kids.earth.nasa.gov/archive/pangaea/Pangaea_game.html

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Recreating Wegener’s DiscoveryRecreating Wegener’s Discovery

Create your own Pangaea using the same evidence Wegener used.

K12: Plate Tectonics

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Continents

“fit together”

like puzzle

pieces

WEGENER’S EVIDENCEWEGENER’S EVIDENCE

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WEGENER’S EVIDENCEWEGENER’S EVIDENCE

Fossil Evidence•fossils are remains of living things that lived long ago.•similar fossils have been discovered in matching coastlines on different continents.

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WEGENER’S EVIDENCEWEGENER’S EVIDENCE

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WEGENER’S EVIDENCEWEGENER’S EVIDENCE

• Mountains– Some mountain ranges on different continents

seem to match.• Ex: ranges in Canada match Norway and Sweden• Ex: Appalachian Mtn. match UK mtn

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WEGENER’S EVIDENCEWEGENER’S EVIDENCE

• Climatic evidence such as glaciers in areas that are now close to the Equator

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Satellites used toSatellites used tomeasure the measure the movement of movement of continentscontinents

• Laser Geodynamics

Satellite (LAGEOS)

Evidence of Continental Drift

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The Plates Move…The Plates Move…So what now?So what now?

Which way?

• 50 million years