CONTINENTAL DRIFT THEORY

by Michael Angelo C. Pisguerra

Mark Vincent Gipanao
Emmanuel Gomez
About Continental Drift Theory

• Continental Drift was a theory that explained how

continents shift position on Earth's Surface. Set forth in
1912 by Alfred Wegener, a geophysicist and meterologist,
continental drift also explained why look-a-like animal and
plant fossils, and similar rock formations, are found on
different continents.
The Theory Of Continental Drift

• Wegener thought all the continents were once joined

together in an “UrkContinent” before breaking up and
drifting to their current positons. But geologists soundly
denounced Wegener's Theory of continental drift after he
published the details in a 1915 book called THE ORIGIN
OF SOLAR SYSTEM.
Evolving Theories

• When Wegener proposed the continental drift, many

geologists were contractionists. They throught Earth's
incredible mountains were created because our planet
was cooling and shrinking since its formation, Frankel
said. And to account for the identical fossils dicovered on
continents such as South America and Africa, scientists
evoked ancient land bridges, now vanished beneath the
sea.
Why Plate tectonics related in Continental Drift

• Plate tectonic is now widely accepted theory that earth's

Crust is fractured into rigid, moving plates. In the 1960s,
scientists discovered the plate edges trough magnetic
surveys of the ocean floor and through the seismic
listening networks built to monitor nuclear testng,
according to Encyclopedia Britannica. Alternating patterns
of magnetic anomalies on the ocean floor indicated
seafloor spreading, where new plate material is born.
Magnetic minerals alligned in ancient rock on continents
also showed that the continents have shifted relative to
one another.
Evidence

• Alfred Wegener collected diverse pieces of of evidence to

support his theory, including geological “fit” and fossil
evidence. It is important to know that the following specific
fossil evidence was not brought up by Wegener to support
his theory: Wegener himself did not collect the fossils but
he called attention of the idea of using these scientific
documents starting there were fossils of speciespresent in
separate continents in order to support his claim.
Evidence of Continental Drift

1. Fossil Plants and Animals Clue

a. Mesosaurus
2. Information from Climate
3. The perfect fitting of continents
4. Rock Clues