What is the best evidence for the theory of plate tectonics?

Answer 1

Distribution of earthquakes along plate margins

Location of earthquake foci along steeply-dipping subduction zones

Age dating sediments on either side of the ridge indicates the sediments get progressively older away from the mid-ocean ridge axis

Thickness of sediments also increases away from ridge

The shape of the sea floor

Answer 2

One theory that supports plate tectonics is that coal mines match up EXACTLY in North America. another is that mountains on the east coast of south americaa match up with those on the west coast of Africa.

Answer 3

1. The shapes of many continents are such that they look like they are separated pieces of a jig-saw puzzle. For example, look in the adjacent map at the shape of the east coast of North and South Americal relative to the shape of the west coast of Africa and Europe.
2. Many fossil comparisons along the edges of continents that look like they fit together suggest species similarities that would only make sense if the two continents were joined at some point in the past.
3. There is a large amount of seismic, volcanic, and geothermal activity along the conjectured plate boundaries. This is shown clearly below in the figure labeled "Crustal plate boundaries" where the epicenters of earthquakes above Richter magnitude 5.0 are plotted for a 10-year period. The concentration is striking, and indeed this plot serves to define the plate boundaries extremely well. Here is aclickable map of current volcanic activity on Earth.
4. There are ridges, such as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (see figures above and below) where plates are separating that are produced by lava welling up from between the plates as they pull apart. Likewise, there are mountain ranges being formed where plates are pushing against each other (e.g., the Himalayas, which are still growing).

Answer 4

The best evidence for plate tectonics is the distribution of earthquakes and volcanoes along plate boundaries, where tectonic plates interact. Additionally, the matching shapes of continents on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean provide further evidence in support of plate movements over time. The discovery of mid-ocean ridges and the process of seafloor spreading also strongly support the theory of plate tectonics.

Answer 5

fossils seperates by thousands of miles, earthquakes, fault lines

and volcano's

Answer 6

Some of the best evidence for the theory of plate tectonic are earthquakes,plants that are in different continents across the ocean,or mountains.

Answer 7

shifting of land, volcanoes, earthquakes... like the one in Japan!

Answer 8

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