GEOL 1001 Chapter : Chapter 2 Part I
Document Summary
Important concepts: earth"s surface consists of plates moving relative to one another plate tectonics, wegener"s evidence for continental drift, theory of plate tectonics, role of paleomagnetism and sea-floor spreading, plate boundaries, motions, geologic processes, and geologic features. Continental drift: continental drift = the hypothesis that continents are mobile, proposed by german meteorologist alfred. The origins of oceans and continents was published in 1915. Idea was founded on strong evidence: fit of continents, location of glaciations, fossil organisms, rock type and structural similarities, paleoclimates preserved in rocks. Continental drift: wegener"s idea was the basis of a scientific revolution: Earth continually changes: continents move, split apart, and recombine, ocean basins open and close, plates move and build regional geologic features. 20 distinct plates move and build regional geologic features. Wegener: continents were once joined together to form a single huge supercontinent, pangaea.
