Continental drift theory for grade 10 science

Drifting of continents

1. The Theory of Continental DriftThe Theory of Continental Drift
Continental Drift Discovery

2. The WorldThe World

3. ALFRED WEGENERALFRED WEGENER
THEORY OF CONTINENTAL THEORY OF CONTINENTAL
DRIFTDRIFT
Found evidence for
PANGAEA and
proposed the theory of
continental drift.

4. 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

5. 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

6. Recreating Wegener’s DiscoveryRecreating Wegener’s Discovery
Create your own Pangaea using the same
evidence Wegener used.
K12: Plate Tectonics

7. Continents
“fit together”
like puzzle
pieces
WEGENER’S EVIDENCEWEGENER’S EVIDENCE

8. 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.

9. WEGENER’S EVIDENCEWEGENER’S EVIDENCE

10. 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

12. WEGENER’S EVIDENCEWEGENER’S EVIDENCE
•Climatic evidence such as glaciers in
areas that are now close to the Equator

13. Satellites used toSatellites used to
measure the measure the
movement of movement of
continentscontinents
•Laser Geodynamics
Satellite (LAGEOS)
Evidence of Continental Drift

14. The Plates Move…The Plates Move…
So what now?So what now?
Which way?
•50 million years