Directions: Transfer the following evidence to the blank continent map provided


The shaded areas on this map represent areas where there is evidence of glaciations during the Paleozoic era



Download 0.67 Mb.
Page3/3
Date03.02.2018
Size0.67 Mb.
#39435
1   2   3

3. The shaded areas on this map represent areas where there is evidence of glaciations during the Paleozoic era.



4. The various letters on this map represent evidence for the location of climate zones during the Carboniferous Period. Scientist have been able to determine the location of these zones after the study of rock, fossil and other evidence.

Answer each question completely in the space provided:

1. Scientists have found Mesosaurus fossils on the east coast of the southern tip of South America and the west coast of South Africa. Even though we know this animal could swim, does the presence of the Mesosaurus fossil in two different places support Wegener theory? Give evidence to support your ideas.

2. Scientists have evidence that Glossopteris was found in what is now India, Antarctica, Australia, and Madagascar. What does this tell you about Glossopteris? What does it tell you about the climate and environment of Pangaea?

3. Based on the geologic past, we can assume that Earth is always changing. What modern-day evidence supports this idea? Hint: Think about natural disasters. Where do they often occur?



4. How do you think the theory of Continental drift helped in our understanding of plate tectonics?



5. Given enough time do you think the continents will come back together again?



This page was copied with permission from the University of California, Irvine



California Science Implementation Network - UCI/CSIN 1989
May be reproduced for non-profit educational uses only.

The evolution of a theory - plate tectonics

These events are in jumbled order. Cut them into strips and re-assemble to give the correct sequence. Paste them in correct order on the back of your completed Pangaea Map.
1912 Alfred Wegener; His ideas were published in a book in English in 1924 called, ‘The Origin of Continents and Oceans’. His idea was called ‘continental displacement’ which later became, continental drift’. His book contained five major lines of evidence:
a) The jigsaw fit - the very close match between the coastlines of Africa and South America;

b) Matching of the geological patterns from either side of the south Atlantic (the pattern on the jigsaw)

c) Fossil evidence (Mesosaurus - a reptile, Lystrosaurus - another reptile, Antarctic beech)

d) Paleoclimatic reasoning



e) He attempted to show the movement of continents by the change in their distance apart, shown by timing radio transmissions over a number of years. Wegener died in 1930.
1967 Jason Morgan, Dan McKenzie and Xavier le Pichon; Developed all the earlier ideas into plate tectonic theory
1858 Antonio Snider; Published first map showing Africa and South America joined together - they broke apart during Noah’s flood.
1965 J. Tuzo Wilson; Proposed that the Earth is divided into several large rigid plates - these are moved apart as sea floors spread.
1937 Alexander Du Toit; Published, ‘Our wandering continents’. Compiled a lot of geological evidence supporting the ‘continental drift’ idea (i.e. matching rocks on either side of the Atlantic basin).
1910 F.B. Taylor; He envisaged a ‘mighty creeping movement’ of the Earth’s crust and collision with other continents to explain the Tertiary mountain belts, e.g. the Himalayas and the Alps.
1660 Francis Bacon; Noticed that the coastlines of Africa and South America had similar shapes.
1963 Fred Vine and Drummond Matthews; Explained the symmetrical magnetic stripes on the ocean floor in terms of sea floor spreading.
1956 S.K. Runcorn; Paleomagnetic evidence from continental rocks appeared to show that the magnetic poles of the Earth had moved - ‘polar wandering’ (it was later shown that not the poles but the continents had moved).
1904 Eduard Suess; The rock structures on either side of the Atlantic were very similar - but this was explained by the collapse below sea level of a supposed continent in between – “Atlantis”.
1962 Harry Hess; Proposed that new ocean floor was made in the centres of oceans and then carried sideways on convection current conveyor belts - this became called the ‘sea floor spreading hypothesis’.
1929 Arthur Holmes; Proposed that there were convection currents in the mantle below the crust.

Download 0.67 Mb.

Share with your friends:
1   2   3




The database is protected by copyright ©ininet.org 2024
send message

    Main page