1. Continental Drift
Chapter 10, Section 1

2. Continental Drift
Theory that states that all continents slowly move through time.
Suggests that all continents were joined in one continent, Pangaea, which began to break apart about 200 million years ago.

4. Continental Drift Developed by Alfred Wegener in early 1900’s.
Controversial idea as Wegner had no reason why the continents should move.
Stated that the spin of the Earth caused less dense continental crust to plow through more dense oceanic crust.

5. Support for Continental Drift
Matching coastlines.

6. Support for Continental Drift
Fossils
Matching fossils across continents.

7. Support for Continental Drift
Changes in climates
Evidence of glaciers found in tropical areas and fossil ferns found in polar areas.

8. Support for Continental Drift
Matching rocks across continents
Ex. – Same age/composition rock layers in Appalachians as in Greenland and western Europe.