Plate Tectonics and Continental Drift Flashcards
What did Alfred Wegener believe?
He believed continents joined together to form one super continent
How did the supercontinent break up?
Continental drift
What is the theory of plate tectonics?
That the crust of the earth is split up into seven large parts (continents) and a few smaller ones all of which move slowly around the earths surface
What do tectonic plates float on and how do they move?
They float on semi molten mantle rocks and are moved by convection currents within the very hot rocks
What are the two types of tectonic plates?
Continental plates
Oceanic plates
What sits on a the certain types of plates?
Continents sit on continental plates and ocean sits on oceanic plates
Who published a book about the earth being a giant jigsaw and in what year?
Alfred Wegener in 1912
