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Theory of Continental Drift

Theory of Continental Drift. The Present is the Key to the Past. James Hutton 1785 Uniformitarianism. Known as the father of geology. Uniformitarianism. The present is the key to the past The geological forces and processes of today are the same as those from the past.

gwendolyn-leblanc
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Theory of Continental Drift

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  1. Theory of Continental Drift The Present is the Key to the Past

  2. James Hutton 1785 Uniformitarianism Known as the father of geology

  3. Uniformitarianism • The present is the key to the past • The geological forces and processes of today are the same as those from the past. • These forces are very slow and methodical.

  4. Alfred Wegener 1915 Continental Drift

  5. Evidence for continental drift Matching Coastlines (jigsaw puzzle) Becomes more of a match when you use the continental shelves.

  6. Evidence for continental drift Matching folded mountain Ranges (Atlas, Appalachians, and Scandinavian Highlands)

  7. Evidence for continental drift Matching glacier deposits

  8. Evidence for continental drift • Salt beds found in Texas and Germany. These are only created in dry tropical areas.

  9. Evidence for continental drift • Coal deposits found in USA. Coal is created in environments similar to the Everglades.

  10. Evidence for continental drift Matching Fossils (Lystrosaurus)

  11. Evidence for continental drift • Matching coastlines • Matching folded mountains • Matching glacier deposits • Salt beds in Texas and Germany • Coal beds in West Virginia • Matching fossils

  12. Pangaea • A Greek word meaning “All-lands” • Split apart approximately 200 MYBP

  13. 1915 maps by Wegener of Pangaea

  14. Continental drift • Theory that continents drift on the surface of the Earth • No mechanism proposed • No one believed this was possible

  15. Glomar Challenger • 1960’s this ship took core samples of ocean floor rocks as it crossed the Atlantic Ocean • A map was produced from this data showing the rock types and ages • From this map a new theory was developed to explain Wegener’s evidence

  16. Ocean floor rock ages • Get older symmetrically away from ridges, the oldest rocks have to be 200,000,000 years old • Theory: sea floor splits apart and rocks move away from each other • Process: Seafloor spreading • Seafloor spreading provides clues to mechanism driving continental drift

  17. Topography of ocean floor

  18. Does sea floor spreading explain everything ? • If the Atlantic Ocean is spreading, doesn’t that mean some place is being squeezed together

  19. Recurring patterns in oceans

  20. Plate Tectonics • Combining Hutton theory, Wegener’s evidence, Glomar Challenger’s data, and the following world map the present theory of Plate Tectonics came into being

  21. Earthquake and Volcano Distribution Weekly quakes

  22. Unexpected consequence of continental drift

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