Continental Drift Theory
Phase 5 Individual Project
The Sciences: Inquiry, Innovation and Invention
SCI210-1202A-04
Professor Nicholas Kusina
ToniAnn Santos
Colorado Technical University
May 15, 2012
Alfred Wegener first proposed the theory of “continental drift” in 1915 after finding evidence on continents that had drifted apart, matched very closely when the continents were brought together. Wegener also stated that the fossils found in a particular place often indicated of a possibility that the climate from the region is totally different from today. All of his facts supported the theory of continental drift. Wegener first suggested that the continents fit together like a jigsaw puzzle and can be pieced together by looking at a map. He named this supercontinent Pangaea, meaning “all land” and suggested that it was surrounded by a supersea, Panthalassa and in the Mesozoic period, Pangaea began to split into separate continents. (Alfred Wegener, 2012) In the late Triassic, Pangaea split into two mega continents, Laurasia and Gondwanaland. In present today, part of Pangaea lies in the Northern Hemisphere and includes North America, Greenland, Europe and Asia, calling this area Laurasia. In the other part of Pangaea we would find South America, Africa, India, Australia and Antarctica, calling this area Gondwanaland. (Williams, 2004) Other scientists questioned Wegener’s beliefs arguing that the Earth was still adjusting from molten mass, and that lighter rocks such as granite, moved towards the surface, underlain by denser rocks such as basalt. Scientist back then also believed that mountain ranges were produced by the cooling contractions and that the continents and the ocean basins were the end result. To Wegener, he championed the idea that the lighter granite that made up the continents could move horizontally through the ocean basalt. He argued that if the continents could rise up vertically, they could also move horizontally as well, provided there was sufficient
The Sciences: Inquiry, Innovation and Invention
SCI210-1202A-04
Professor Nicholas Kusina
ToniAnn Santos
Colorado Technical University
May 15, 2012
Alfred Wegener first proposed the theory of “continental drift” in 1915 after finding evidence on continents that had drifted apart, matched very closely when the continents were brought together. Wegener also stated that the fossils found in a particular place often indicated of a possibility that the climate from the region is totally different from today. All of his facts supported the theory of continental drift. Wegener first suggested that the continents fit together like a jigsaw puzzle and can be pieced together by looking at a map. He named this supercontinent Pangaea, meaning “all land” and suggested that it was surrounded by a supersea, Panthalassa and in the Mesozoic period, Pangaea began to split into separate continents. (Alfred Wegener, 2012) In the late Triassic, Pangaea split into two mega continents, Laurasia and Gondwanaland. In present today, part of Pangaea lies in the Northern Hemisphere and includes North America, Greenland, Europe and Asia, calling this area Laurasia. In the other part of Pangaea we would find South America, Africa, India, Australia and Antarctica, calling this area Gondwanaland. (Williams, 2004) Other scientists questioned Wegener’s beliefs arguing that the Earth was still adjusting from molten mass, and that lighter rocks such as granite, moved towards the surface, underlain by denser rocks such as basalt. Scientist back then also believed that mountain ranges were produced by the cooling contractions and that the continents and the ocean basins were the end result. To Wegener, he championed the idea that the lighter granite that made up the continents could move horizontally through the ocean basalt. He argued that if the continents could rise up vertically, they could also move horizontally as well, provided there was sufficient
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