Continental Drift Theory
Presentation By:
Sarath Babu.M.G
Acknowledgement to :
Asha Krishnan, Rojin Jacob and Sunu Manoharan
Introduction In 1912, a German Scholar
Alfred Lothar Wegener Proposed the Concept of “Continental Drift Theory ”
In 1924, the theory became popular in the scientific world
Wegener hypothesized that the continents were slowly drifting around the Earth.
Alfred Lothar Wegener
Theory The continents part sial floats
on the oceanic part sima
There was only one continent called, Pangea at the beginning
It was surrounded by a large and deep ocean, Panthalassa.
Drifiting
Drifiting
Stages of Drifting
• At Later stage, certain portion of this landmass drifted towards north and west
Formation of Atlantic Ocean• As a result, Atlantic
Ocean were formed and in between Americas and Europe- Africa.
India Indian Sub-continent drifted
northwards results the formation of Himalayas
The Himalayas were formed by the converging of the Eurasian plate and the Indian plate.
Antarctica• All the Southern lands
broke apart the central part of it drifted towards south pole to form Antarctica
Evidences
Evidences 1 Evidences of Jig-saw fit of
Coastlines of western Europe & Western Africa on one side and North & South America on the other side
Evidences 2 Similarities of Fossils from the
both sides of continents of Atlantic Ocean
• Glossopteris
• Cynognathus
• Mesosaurus
• Lystrosaurus
Evidences 3 Evidences left by the ice age in the continents during the Permian and Carboniferous period
Evidence 4Pattern of global
distribution of fold mountains
Criticism
Criticisms The theory does not indicate
any force bring about drift of the continents
This theory presupposes sima to be floating over it.
Several critics say that different continents can fit in the other to be a certain extend only.
Some questioned about the time and direction of the drift.
Conclusion
ConclusionInspite of all criticism the
resemblances between the continents, Wegner has uncovered are definite proofs that this solid land we stand on has been a good deal of a footloose wanderer in its time
Questions ?
Thank you
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