12.1 Notes Answers
What evidence did Wegener give to support the theory of plate tectonics?
Continents looked like they fit together
Fossils
Coal deposits
Glacier evidence
Mountains, rock formations
What was the name of the supercontinent? The supercontinent was named Pangaea
What evidence did Wegener find regarding geologic structures and rocks to support his theory on continental drift?
1. mountain ranges that begin on one continent, end at the coastline and appear to continue on a continent across the ocean
2. rock structures were similar
3. the ages of rocks in newfoundland and Greenland and Ireland and Scotland and Norway were similar
What was Mesosaurus
small freshwater reptile that was sharp-toothed
Why was it important to the theory on continental drift?
Because it was small, freshwater animal, unlikely to have survived 6000km crossing of open ocean
What other fossils did Wegener study?
Cygnathus and Lystrosaurus on the southern hemisphere continents
Glossopteris was a fern found widely apart. It did not grow in cold climates (Therefore Antarctica must have been closer to the equator and warmer)
Why were scientists studying paleoglaciation puzzled by evidence of glaciers in Africa and India?
They found evidence of glaciers in regions that are now tropical (India, Africa)!!
What was another piece of climate evidence that reveals that the continents were not always in their current positions?
Coal deposits in Antarctica (tropical swamp material). Therefore Antarctica was once in a warmer location than it is now.
How did mapping the locations of volcanoes and earthquakes help to support the continental drift theory?
Volcanoes and earthquake zones outline the boundaries between tectonic plates
What is a tectonic plate?
Large, movable slabs of r...