What is a lack of explanation for continental drift prevented many scientists from accepting that a single supercontinent called?
Science Final Quiz
| A | B |
|---|---|
| A lack of explanation for continental drift prevented many scientists from believing a single supercontinent called ______ existed. | Pangaea |
| The Glomar Challenger aided the theory of plate tectonics by providing _________. | samples of older rocks away from mid-ocean ridges |
What was lacking with the continental drift theory?
The greatest problem facing Wegener was the lack of direct evidence for the movements of continents (no GPS at the time!) and no mechanism was known to be powerful enough to move entire continents.
What evidence do scientists have for continental drift?
In the early part of the 20th century, scientists began to put together evidence that the continents could move around on Earth’s surface. The evidence for continental drift included the fit of the continents; the distribution of ancient fossils, rocks, and mountain ranges; and the locations of ancient climatic zones.
When did Wegener believe that the continents were assembled as part of a supercontinent?
Pangaea was a supercontinent that formed roughly 200 to 250 million years ago, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and was responsible for the fossil and rock clues that led Wegener to his theory.
What layer of the earth do tectonic plates move?
lithosphere
These plates lie on top of a partially molten layer of rock called the asthenosphere. Due to the convection of the asthenosphere and lithosphere, the plates move relative to each other at different rates, from two to 15 centimeters (one to six inches) per year.
What new evidence did you use to show that continents fit together?
How was Wegener’s theory proven?
Wegener found that large-scale geological features on separated continents often matched very closely when the continents were brought together. Wegener was not the first to suggest that the continents had once been connected, but he was the first to present extensive evidence from several fields.
What layer is the only liquid layer?
The outer core is the liquid largely iron layer of the earth that lies below the mantle. Geologists have confirmed that the outer core is liquid due to seismic surveys of Earth’s interior.