Geography, 23.09.2019 18:00 mzyjohnson47

What is the idea of the continental drift theory?

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Answer from: ijohnson020702

This article is about the development of the continental drift hypothesis before 1958. For the contemporary theory, see plate tectonics. For the Russell Banks novel, see Continental Drift (novel). For the fourth film in the Ice Age franchise, see Ice Age: Continental Drift.

The continental drift of the last 150 million years

Antonio Snider-Pellegrini's Illustration of the closed and opened Atlantic Ocean (1858).[1]

Continental drift is the movement of the Earth's continents relative to each other, thus appearing to "drift" across the ocean bed.[2]The speculation that continents might have 'drifted' was first put forward by Abraham Ortelius in 1596. The concept was independently and more fully developed byAlfred Wegener in 1912, but his theory was rejected by some for lack of a mechanism (though this was supplied later by Arthur Holmes) and others because of prior theoretical commitments. The idea of continental drift has been subsumed by the theory of plate tectonics, which explains how the continents move.[3]

In 1858 Antonio Snider-Pellegrini created two maps demonstrating how the American and African continents might have once fit together.

Answer from: lopezjose1530

The continental drift is a theory that provides an explanation regarding the continental plate motion over the large ocean body.

Explanation:

The concept of continental drift was first introduced by Alfred Wegener. He gave the idea about the floating of the continents from one particular place to another with respect to its pole position.The convection current that is responsible for the plate motion is favoured by the presence of a very large amount of molten materials that include elements such as iron, nickel and other siderophile elements. The temperature in this region is extremely high and so it radiates a significant amount of energy from the core.

Further explanation:

The Plate tectonic theory elaborates on how the lithospheric plates float over a less dense layer of Asthenosphere due to the generation of mantle convection. These convection currents are initiated because of the energy supplied towards the crust from the earth's interior.

This continental drift theory played a significant role in the field of geology by exploring much more information regarding the interior of the earth. This allowed the geologists to visualise and create a picture of how the continuous earth's dynamic intensive processes take place frequently and rapidly above and below the surface of the earth.

This theory explains the occurrence of a large super continent in the past called Pangea that has split up. It has also been predicted that after about 250 millions of years, all the current landmasses will combine to form another super continent.

The evidence that was provided in support of Continental drift theory includes the presence of similar fossilised flora and fauna in different continents, continental edges fit with one another, correlation of rocks, and many more.

The concept of seafloor spreading also helped in understanding the continental drift theory as they had the common factor for the plates to move and ocean basin to diverge, which is the convection current.

Learn more:

1. Relation between continental drift and plate tectonic theory (answer by Martinagarza000)

2. Continental drift and plate motion (answer by VestaHofman)

Keywords:

Continental drift, Plate tectonic theory, Lithosphere, Asthenosphere, Convection current, Meteorologist, Pangea, Siderophile elements, Seafloor spreading.

Answer from: Quest

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Answer from: Quest

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