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The theory of continental drift is superseded by Plate Tectonics.

There are two most convincing pieces of evidence for continental drift.

  1. The first would be that at the mid ocean ridge there are magnetic stripes at the mid-ocean ridge that change their polarity which helps show their age. This can be useful to determine how long this has been going on and helps show how the rock had not just been laid down all at once. It also gives a rough age of the rock. (This same evidence can help prove the flipping of the magnetic poles, but you may learn about that latter.)
  2. The final probably the most convincing piece of evidence is how the mountain ranges match up, how the same fossils are found on different continents and finally how the sea shelfs fit snugly together. There is not just one convincing piece of evidence though but once you put them all together and get the big picture then it makes sense.

Plate Tectonics describes the large scale movement of the Earth's crust. There are 7 or 8 plates which, at the boundaries, will

  • converge (one slides under the other) also called subduction,
  • diverge (spread apart) or
  • transform (slide against one another). The San Andreas fault is an example of a transform boundary.

There are volcanoes and earthquakes along the boundaries of the plates. The continents, themselves, are on a plate that is being acted on at the boundaries. Japan, unfortunately, is on the meeting place of several different plates. The Eurasian plate, the North American plate, the Filipino plate and the Pacific plate are all meeting near Japan.

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What were the 3 types of evidence the Alfred Wegener used to support his theory of Continental Drift?

Alfred Wegener used fossil evidence, geological evidence, and paleoclimatic evidence to support his theory of Continental Drift. Fossils of the same species found on different continents, similar rock formations and mountain ranges across continents, and matching ancient climate patterns were key pieces of evidence that he presented.


Which one of the following pieces of evidence did Wegener use to support his theory of continental drift?

the age of the rocks in the sea floor is all the same


Where did wegener look for proof that would support his theory of continental drift?

Alfred Wegener looked for several lines of evidence to support his theory of continental drift, including the fit of the continents like puzzle pieces, matching geological formations across continents, similarities in fossils and plants, and evidence from paleoclimate data such as glacial deposits.


What thingsthat scientist use to support the theory of continental drift?

Scientists use evidence such as matching fossil records, rock formations, and geological structures across continents, as well as the fit of the continents themselves, to support the theory of continental drift. Additionally, studies of oceanic crust age and magnetic patterns on the seafloor provide further evidence for plate tectonics and continental movement.


Which was used by Wegner to establish the continental drift?

Alfred Wegener used evidence from the fit of continents, distribution of fossils, rock types, and ancient climate data to support his theory of continental drift.

Related Questions

Why is the continental drift theory a theory and not a scientific law?

The Continental Drift theory is a theory because there is no evidence to support it. Alfred Wegener developed the Continental Drift theory in the 1800's.


What type of information Alfred wegner use on his theory?

He used evidence from landform, climate, and fossils to support his theory of the continental drift.


What were the 3 types of evidence the Alfred Wegener used to support his theory of Continental Drift?

Alfred Wegener used fossil evidence, geological evidence, and paleoclimatic evidence to support his theory of Continental Drift. Fossils of the same species found on different continents, similar rock formations and mountain ranges across continents, and matching ancient climate patterns were key pieces of evidence that he presented.


Which one of the following pieces of evidence did Wegener use to support his theory of continental drift?

the age of the rocks in the sea floor is all the same


What are Plate tectonics evidence?

The theory of plate tectonics has succumbed to the newer theory of continental drift. Scientists believe this theory today due to three main factors. First, the continents appear to fit together. When the continental shelves, as opposed to just the continents, are placed together, the fit appears uncanny. Second, the distribution of fossils is consistent with continental drift. Lastly, glacial deposits once covered parts of the earth that are currently tropical.ANSWER: The plate tectonics theory is relatively new and formulated only in the 1960s. The evidence listed above in the first answer can only support the continental drift theory which was developed by Alfred Wegener in 1912. Evidence that can support the plate tectonics theory are the age, depth of oceanic sediments, volcanic activity, geothermal gradient, gravity anomalies, paleomagnetism and seismologic evidence. If you are answering an exam question on evidence supporting plate tectonics, evidence supporting continental drift theory should only come later in your answer and should not be given too much emphasis, for the plate tectonics theory involves more than just the continental crust drifting around and cannot support the main hypotheses of the plate tectonics theory.


What evidence did Alfred wanger use to support his theory of contnetal drift?

Alfred Wegener used several lines of evidence to support his theory of continental drift. This included the fit of the continents like a jigsaw puzzle, similarities in rock formations and mountain ranges across different continents, matching fossils on separate continents, and paleoclimatic evidence such as glacial striations in tropical regions. These pieces of evidence led Wegener to propose the theory of continental drift in the early 20th century.


What evidence does NOT support the continental drift theory?

One piece of evidence that does not support the continental drift theory is the lack of a mechanism to explain how continents could drift across the Earth's surface. Additionally, some geologists have suggested that the movement of the continents is due to other processes like subsidence and uplift rather than drifting. Finally, the theory of plate tectonics provides a more comprehensive explanation for the movement of the Earth's lithosphere compared to the original theory of continental drift.


Where did wegener look for proof that would support his theory of continental drift?

Alfred Wegener looked for several lines of evidence to support his theory of continental drift, including the fit of the continents like puzzle pieces, matching geological formations across continents, similarities in fossils and plants, and evidence from paleoclimate data such as glacial deposits.


True or false wegener knew that continental drift explained fossils of tropical plants?

True. Alfred Wegener, the scientist who proposed the theory of continental drift, used the distribution of fossils of tropical plants across continents as evidence to support his idea that the continents were once connected. This was one of the key pieces of evidence Wegener used to support his theory.


What thingsthat scientist use to support the theory of continental drift?

Scientists use evidence such as matching fossil records, rock formations, and geological structures across continents, as well as the fit of the continents themselves, to support the theory of continental drift. Additionally, studies of oceanic crust age and magnetic patterns on the seafloor provide further evidence for plate tectonics and continental movement.


What are 4 pieces of evidence4 alferd wegner used to support this theory?

Four pieces of evidence used by Alfred Wegener to support his theory of continental drift were the fit of the continents, matching geological formations across continents, similar fossil distributions, and glacial evidence in tropical regions.


Which was used by Wegner to establish the continental drift?

Alfred Wegener used evidence from the fit of continents, distribution of fossils, rock types, and ancient climate data to support his theory of continental drift.