1. CONTINENTAL DRIFT Page 43 of INB

2. ESSENTIAL QUESTION:  Justify the different pieces of evidence used to support the theory of continental drift?

3. CONTINENTAL DRIFT:  Alfred Wegner: All the continents were once together, PANGAEA  Proposed the theory of continental drift; Continents are in constant motion.

4. EVIDENCE:  Coastlines match, even better match when you use continental shelves.  Glacial grooves on rocks found near the equator.

7. EVIDENCE (CON’T)  Fossils: A plant called glossopteris (a swamp plant) found on 5 different continents.  South America, Africa, India, Australia, and Antarctica.

9. EVIDENCE (CON’T)  Rocks: Same basalt rocks found on South America and Africa.  Caledonian Mountains and Appalachian mountains are same age, structure, and rock types.

11. BUT  His ideas were not accepted by scientist of the day.  Problems: Slow, How and what caused the continents to move, believed solid mantle.