Continental Drift

Continental Drift, why True? Continental drift is the process of large mass of land and rocks unceasingly moving for a long period of time, which can be explained by what is called “Plate Tectonics”. Due to the fact that continental drift is a theory, there is evidence and other sets of statements to back it up. According to Wegener, a geologist stated that segments of the Earth has made continental drift true (possible) whilst other pieces of information supported that continental drift has happened and is happening. 1. Geological Similarity

The geology in terms of rocks, plants and animals, ice-shapes, and the outline of the land matches. To begin with, the rocks in the eastern coastline of South America and the rocks in the western coastline of Africa has been found out that they both have the same broad belts of rocks. Not just South America and Africa, but the banks (coasts) where different continents meet have similar types. This leads to the second argument in the field of geological similarity of why continental drift is true: What makes you think that the continents have joined in the past?

At least once in your life you looked at a global map whether a geography teacher told you to or you just wanted to. If you have examined close enough, a connection between continents could have been found. One may have realised how the shapes (outline) of the continents can be sorted to form a perfect jig-saw puzzle. As South America and Africa can be matched, other continents also have a connection between them. Furthermore, there is a relationship in terms of plants and animals between different continents.

For instance, Alfred Wegener (geologist) found out that a similarity exists between plant/animal fossils in several continents. However, you may argue that it is a matter of coincidence. In this instance, though coincidence is impossible by the means of animals evolving and spreading. Due to the large Atlantic Ocean between South America and Africa, scientists and geologists are capable of stating the such low possibility of how animals (plants) can cross the Ocean. In other words, they organisms have once evolved in one large mass of land (Pangaea).

Lastly, the ice resembles in several continents. Everyone is aware that a continental ice sheet covered parts of South America, southern Africa, India, and southern Australia about 300 million years ago. If this is possible, the Atlantic Ocean must have not existed. Such movements of glaciers (glaciation) could not have occurred if an enormous ocean was through the routes of the movement. 2. How could such large mass of land move? Plate Tectonics comes to light when talking about how crusts can move.

Crusts whether it being oceanic or continental, they are above the mantle. Due to the fact that the mantle consists of flowing magma (convection current), it can cause vertical and horizontal movements of the crust. The process is that as the core gets heated, the convection current flows and soon lead to the activity of land. This eventually allows land parts to move but slowly as our fingernails grow. 3. Position Difference Why do not we have evidence of covered ice sheets on northern continents like North America? Simple.

Northern continents were near the equator about 300 million years ago. They were a part of the Pangaea and was located nowhere near compared to where it is. 4. Why care about this? As human beings, we adapt to our environment whether it is very poor or rich, satisfying or dissatisfying, or even clean or dirty. Continental drift as well will influence the environment we live in in the future. Continents are still flowing and may possibly allow a car to travel from North America to Asia. Let’s all stick around to find out, shall we?