Transcript Continental drift - Red Hook Central School District

 ASTHENOSPHERE:
An area of earth’s upper
mantle that has a low density and partially
melted rock material
 LITHOSPHERE:
The outer portion of earth
that includes the crust and upper mantle
 Continental
Drift:
A theory that states that the
continents have drifted from one
location to another over time
 Wegner:
The scientist who came up
with this hypothesis.
 Wegener’s
support to his hypothesis:
a. Coasts of continents fit like puzzle pieces
b. Fossil remains found on two separate
continents
c. Rock formations found on different
continents would match up
d. Climate change evidence.
 Earth’s
lithosphere is broken into plates that
move on the asthenosphere
 Plate
Tectonics: A theory that describes the
formation, movements and interactions of
these plates
Support:
Data about earthquakes,
magnetism, the age of rocks on the
ocean floor, some of Wegner’s
findings
As the plates move, the continents
move.
Most
locations of earthquakes
and volcanoes = Location of
plate boundaries
Magnetic
minerals in magma
orient themselves to face the
magnetic pole as the magma
solidifies
Magnetic
pole has reversed several
times in the geologic past
We
have a record of age and pole
switches
Mid-Ocean
Ridge: long
chain of volcanic
mountains on the ocean
floor
As new rocks rise in the
middle as magma, it
forces older rocks out
to the side