Science: Chapter 1/section 3: drifting continents

Question 1

What was Alfred Wegener’s hypothesis about the continents

Answer 1

All the continents had once been joined together in a single landmass and have since drifted apart. The landmass was called Pangaea.

Question 2

what is continental drift

Answer 2

the idea (by Wegener) that the continents on the Earth’s surface slowly drifted apart.

Question 3

What are some examples that support the idea of continental drift

Answer 3

1. some of the continents coastlines look like they would match together like a puzzle
2. Some landforms on continents match other landforms on other continents (like mountain ranges)
3. Fossils. Some widely separated continents have similar fossils from millions of years ago- even though their current climates are very
4. climate change. Earths climate has not changed but the fact that evidence of tropical fossils on now cold continents supports the ideas that the continents have moved.

Question 4

What was a problem with Wegener’s theory

Answer 4

He could not provide an explanation for what force could push or pull the continents

Question 5

What was the theory that most of the other geologists thought explained how the continents formed

Answer 5

that thought the earth’s surface was slowly cooling and shrinking