1. Plate Tectonics & Continental Drift

2. Let’s start by reading pages 16-17 in our Atlas
What are “plates”
What impact can colliding plates have on the earth?
Define Subduction
What can subduction cause?
What causes earthquakes?
What happens when plates pull apart?
Define Pangea

3. The World

4. The Earth is like a peach
CRUST- Thin outer skin
MANTLE- Thick layer of really hot rocks & semi-melted rocks called Magma
CORE- Solid, superhot ball of iron

5. The earth is sliced into 16 (or so) irregular shaped piece called PLATES
They float around each other and cause things to happen in our environment

6. Alfred Wegener (1880-1930) Continental Drift Theory
300 million years ago the earth’s land masses formed one “supercontinent” that he called PANGEA

7. Continents
“fit together”
like puzzle
pieces

8. WEGNER’S EVIDENCE- FOSSILS
Same fossils from same time period in different continents

10. WEGENER’S EVIDENCE
Some mountains on different continents seem to match
Ex: ranges in Canada match Norway and Sweden
Ex: Appalachian Mtn. match UK mtn

11. WEGENER’S EVIDENCE- Glaciers
Climatic evidence such as glaciers in areas that are now close to the Equator

13. And it’s still happening…
Satellite's can measure the rate of movement of the continental plates
(3:18) ‘Earth 100 Million Years From Now’