What is the most convincing piece of evidence that support the theory of continental drift?

Answer 1

The theory of continental drift is superseded by Plate Tectonics.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.