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What does Continental Drift Theory mean?

What is the explanation behind Continental Drift Theory?


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Pangaea: Real or Not?

Pangaea is said to be the only continent that existed in the Earth billions of years ago. The explanation was that the Earth only had one continent, and because of different factors such as earthquakes, this one continent, which is called Pangaea, drifted apart forming smaller continents that we have today.

It was Alfred Wegener who first agreed and supported the presence of Pangaea and the occurrence of the continental drift. Wegener’s explanation back in 1912 was that the Earth’s movement has caused the shift and movement of the large continent, thereby separating them by its parts. But the theory was not easily supported by many even until now. This is because there are still a lot of inconsistencies when it comes to the age of the Earth as well as the age of the fossil fuels found. Many people still don’t recognize the use of carbon dating as a way of measuring the records of the earth.

Those who believed in the continental drift theory accept that Pangaea was present. Until now, there are still some “proofs” left of the theory. If we take a look at the map, cut the continents into pieces, we can actually connect the continents together, just like in jigsaw puzzle. The shape of the continents could be argued as coincidence, but there are some data that suggests the presence of the massive continent. Fossil fuels and records that were found in South America were actually identically to those fossil records found in Africa. Similarly, minerals that were found in one continent can also be found in other continents.

According to the theories surrounding Pangaea, the continental drift happened because of massive earthquakes that had caused the continent to break and move. Tectonic plates under the large continents moved and caused the birth of the new continents that we have now. The continental drift theory has been widely accepted and is often accepted in schools and institutions.
Feb 17th, 2013 at 4:23 PM
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