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Continental Drift Definition

Continental drift explains continents moving across Earth over time. For example, matching fossils on different continents support this theory.

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Tectonic Plates

LESSON MATERIALSmove

Fun Facts

  • The matching shapes of continents are evidence of continental drift.
  • Pangea was a supercontinent that existed about 240 million years ago.
  • The discovery of similar rocks and minerals on different continents supports Wegener's theory from 1913.

Why Do We Need To Know About Continental Drift

Learning about how continents move helps us know why we can predict earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. This knowledge is important for keeping people safe and can lead to jobs in studying earthquakes (seismology) or volcanoes (volcanology).

Understanding how continents drift isn’t just about Earth. It helps us learn about the history of our planet and what other planets like Mars are made of. This shows why it’s important to learn about continental drift, from predicting disasters to exploring other planets.

Frequently Asked Questions

Describe the layers of the Earth.
The Earth’s crust is the top layer. Next comes the mantle which is made of hot solid rock that can move very slowly over years. The inner-most layer is the core. The core is the hottest but is a solid due to being made mostly of iron and nickel under intense pressure from all the rock above it.
Describe the 3 main kinds of plate boundaries.
Convergent boundaries are where boundaries move towards each other. Divergent boundaries are when plates move apart. Transform boundaries are when plates slide past each other.
What is Pangea?
Pangea is a super continent predicted by the theory of continental drift. Scientists believe that about 240 million years ago all the continents were one large one called Pangea. The land of Pangea then broke apart due to tectonic plate movement and moved over millions of years. This idea is well supported by multiple lines of evidence.
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