1.

In addition to their shapes, what other data support the hypothesis that Africa and South America were once joined together? There is fossil evidence of life forms that are consistent on both continents There is also evidence of the same type of plants there is also a layer of sandstone on each content that would imply same geological features such as sand dunes. Mountain belts are also present and they are the same age on both continents and would line up if continents were still connected. 2. Along the profile line, where is the ocean generally the deepest? ...the shallowest? The ocean seems to be deepest on either side of the mid-Atlantic ridge and also below the continental self on each side. The shallowest depths in some places are located at the top or center of the mid Atlantic ridge and the top of the continental shelf. 3. What areas of the Atlantic seafloor have the youngest rocks? ...the oldest? The oldest rock is located along the continental shelf , the youngest is located directly in the middle along the mid Atlantic ridge. 4. How old are the very oldest rocks on the Atlantic seafloor? Where are they? 180.000.000 year old rock is located on the western continental shelf of Africa and eastern north America continental shelf. 5. Based on the age of the oldest rocks between South America and Africa, when did the two continents split? 137.700.000 years ago as this is the age of the oldest rocks present. 6. Based on ages of the oldest rocks in the North and South Atlantic, describe how and when the Atlantic Ocean formed, and how its shape has changed through time. 180.000.000 years ago the mid ocean ridge began to seep magma this inturn caused the purporting mass of lava to act as a wedge between south America and Africa slowly creating new ocean land where magma from the mantle reached the seafloor, producing new crustal material for the plates in some places the magma is very ridged like near the ridge and in some places the ocean floor is smooth and deep perhaps in older land areas. 9. Where else on Earth do mid-ocean ridges exist? There are many underwater ridges all over the world. Many are found between tectonic plates that diverge from one another. There is one present in the Pacific ocean and Indian ocean as well. 10. What can you infer about continents on opposite sides of the same mid-ocean ridge? That these continents were once connected. And that these continents may share similarities in geological terms. 11. What evidence would you look for if you wanted to show that two landmasses were once connected? You would look for evidence in the fossil record, similarities in the geological features such as minerals and mountains, check the rock ages of the edges, look for evidence of divergent plates and mid ridge systems. Also obvious evidence such as surface shape.