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Drifting Continents.notebook
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December 16, 2014
Drifting Continents
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Continental Drift a hypothesisthat all the continents had oncebeen joined together in a singleland mass and have since driftedapart.
Alfred Wegener formed this hypothesis.
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Wegener named this single landmass, or supercontinent, Pangaea.
According to Wegener:existed 300 million years agoreptiles and winged insects first appeared.great tropical forests, which later formed coal deposits, covered large parts of Earth's surface
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Alfred Wegener gathered evidence to support his hypothesis from many different scientific areas.
1. landforms2. fossils3. climate
Alfred Wegener published all his evidencefor continental drift in a book calledThe Origin of Continents and Oceans
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Evidence from Landforms
Mountain ranges and other features on thecontinents provide evidence for continentaldrift.
Wegener noticed: Mountain range in South America lined up with a range in Argentina European coal fields match up with coal fields in North America
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Evidence from FossilsFossil: any trace of an ancient organism that has been preserved in rock.
EX> Mesoaurus and Lystrosaurus have been found in places now seperated by oceans. Neither could have swam that far.
Glossopteris: a fernlike plant: Fossils of this plant have been found in rocks in Africa, South America, Australia, India, and Antarctica.
Lystrosaurus
Mesoaurus
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Evidence from ClimateAreas in South Africa showed deep scratches in the rocks. This showed that continental glaciers once covered South Africa.
Continental Glaciers: thick layers of ice that cover hundreds of thousands of square kilometers
Climate of South Africa today is too mild for continental glaciers to form.
The island of Spitsbergen, found north of Norway, is ice covered and has a harsh polar climate. Fossils of tropical plants are found on the island.
Wegener concluded that as the continents moved the climates of the continents changed.
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Scientists Reject Wegener's Theory
Wegener also offered a new explanation on how mountains form. When drifting continents collide, their edges crumple and fold.
Wegener could not provide a satisfactory explanation for the force that pushes or pulls the continents
Most geologists rejected his ideas
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Driing Connents Study Guide
Name: _________________________________________ Period: ___________
Define Connental Dri: ________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
What was the name of the scienst that formed the theory of connental dri? ____________________
The single landmass or superconnent is called: _________________________________________
At this me
* Pangaea existed ________________________ years ago
* Reples and ____________________ insects first appeared
* Great tropical forests, which later formed ___________________________, covered large
Parts of Earth’s surface
Alfred Wegener gathered evidence to support his theory from many different scienfic areas.
1. _______________________________
2. _______________________________
3. ______________________________
Alfred Wegener published a book that outlined his theory and the evidence to support it. The book was called ___________________________________________________________
Evidence from Landforms
_____________________________ and other features on the connents provided evidence for connental dri.
Mountain ranges in South Africa lined up with mountain ranges in _______________________________
European coal fields match up with coal fields in _____________________________________________
Evidence from Fossils
Define fossil: __________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Mesosaurus and Lystrosaurus have been found in places now separated by _______________________.
South America, Africa, India, and Australia are a few of the places they were found.
*Glossopteris: ___________________________________ : Fossils of this plant have been found in rocks in Africa, South America, Australia, and Antarcca. The seeds could not have traveled the great distances between the connents. The seeds were too large to be carried by wind.
Evidence from Climate
The island of Spitsbergen, found north of Norway, is ice covered and has a harsh polar climate. Fossils of tropical plants are found on the island.
Areas in South Africa show deep scratches in the rocks. This shows signs that ______________________
once covered South Africa.
Climate of South Africa today is much too mild for _________________________________ to form.
Wegener concluded that as the ____________________________ moved the climates of the connents changed.
Sciensts Reject Wegener’s Theory
Theory: a set of statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena, especially one that has been repeatedly tested or is widely accepted and can be used to make predicons about natural phenomena.
Wegener offered new evidence on how mountains form.
Explain the way Wegener said mountains form: ______________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Wegener could not provide a sasfactory explanaon for the force that ____________ or____________
the connents.
Wegener new evidence was _____________________
