Continental Drift
What is the name of the supercontinent Wegener said once existed?
Pangaea
Fossils of the same animal found on different continents support the idea that…
Continents were once joined.
What is Earth’s outermost layer called?
The crust
Earth’s crust is broken into large pieces called…
Tectonic plates
Most earthquakes occur along ______.
Plate boundaries
Who proposed the Continental Drift Theory?
Alfred Wegener
Glacial scratches found in warm places suggest that…
Those continents were once in colder climates.
Which layer is the thickest, hot rock that moves slowly?
The mantle
What causes tectonic plates to move?
Convection currents in the mantle
Earthquakes often happen when plates…
Slide past each other
Wegener noticed that the coastlines of South America and Africa seem to ______.
Fit together like puzzle pieces
Matching mountain ranges on different continents show that…
Those lands were once connected.
What part of Earth is made of liquid metal?
The outer core
The theory that explains HOW plates move is called…
Plate Tectonic Theory
Volcanoes often form at which type of boundary?
Convergent (subduction)
Why did scientists originally reject Wegener’s idea?
He could not explain how the continents moved.
Tropical plant fossils found in Antarctica show that…
Antarctica was once closer to the equator.
What rigid layer includes both the crust and upper mantle?
Lithosphere
When plates move apart, the boundary is called…
Divergent boundary
A boundary where plates crash together is called…
Convergent boundary
Wegener used evidence from climate, fossils, and ______ to support his theory.
Rock formations / mountain ranges
What key idea ties all evidence together?
Continents have moved slowly over millions of years.
What soft, flowing layer moves like hot taffy beneath the plates?
Asthenosphere
When one plate sinks beneath another, the process is called…
Subduction
The Ring of Fire is famous for what two things?
Earthquakes and volcanoes