Earth: Portrait of a Planet (Fifth Edition)
Earth: Portrait of a Planet (Fifth Edition)
5th Edition
ISBN: 9780393937503
Author: Stephen Marshak
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Question
Book Icon
Chapter 3, Problem 1RQ
To determine

The continental drift hypothesis of Wegener.

Expert Solution & Answer
Check Mark

Answer to Problem 1RQ

The continental drift hypothesis of Wegener states that the continents were once joined together to form the supercontinent Pangaea and they later drifted apart.

Explanation of Solution

Continental drift hypothesis was proposed by Alfred Wegener and it states that in the past, all the continents were joined together to form a single landmass called Pangaea and later they had drifted apart to form their present configuration.

According to Wegener, the positions of continents change with time. The supercontinent Pangaea existed until the end of Palaeozoic Era. At the time of Mesozoic, they broke and drifted part. As a result, the smaller continents that exist today are formed. He supports his idea based on the data collected from various sources. It includes the matching up of coastlines on opposite sides of oceans, the distribution of Palaeozoic glaciers over the southern end of Pangaea, the distribution of late Palaeozoic equatorial climatic belts that is compatible with the concept of Pangaea, the distribution of fossils, and the distinctive assemblage of rocks that are present on the opposite sides of the ocean adjacent to Pangaea.

Want to see more full solutions like this?

Subscribe now to access step-by-step solutions to millions of textbook problems written by subject matter experts!
Students have asked these similar questions
Which oxidants oxidize NO to NO 2 (select all that apply)? 03 OH HO2 RO2
Which oxidants must oxidize NO to NO 2 in order to lead to net formation of ozone (select all that apply)? ☐ 03 ☐ OH U HO2 RO2
Exercise Ten / Geologic Time 177 d. Based on the ages of the rock layers in outcrop 1, identify an unconformity. Remember that an unconformity is a break in the rock record. Draw a wavy line on the figure to represent the unconformity. Ginkgo Period Ginkgo Lepidodendron Dimetrodon Period Tyrannosaurus Calamites Inoceramus Period Lepidodendron Rhodocrinites Archimedes Eurypterus Period Sharks Period Phacops Agnostus Outcrop 1 Period Period Ichthyosaurus Period Sharks Ceratites Period Paleolimulus A Figure 10.17 Sequences of sedimentary rock layers to accompany Question 7. 10.8 Numerical Dating with Radioactivity ■ Explain the principle of radiometric dating, including half-life, parent isotope, and daughter product. Radioactivity has provided a reliable means for calculating the numerical (absolute) age of rocks, a procedure called radiometric dating. Radioactive isotopes, such as uranium-238, emit particles from their nuclei that we call radiation. Ultimately, the process of decay…
Knowledge Booster
Background pattern image
Similar questions
SEE MORE QUESTIONS
Recommended textbooks for you
Text book image
Applications and Investigations in Earth Science ...
Earth Science
ISBN:9780134746241
Author:Edward J. Tarbuck, Frederick K. Lutgens, Dennis G. Tasa
Publisher:PEARSON
Text book image
Exercises for Weather & Climate (9th Edition)
Earth Science
ISBN:9780134041360
Author:Greg Carbone
Publisher:PEARSON
Text book image
Environmental Science
Earth Science
ISBN:9781260153125
Author:William P Cunningham Prof., Mary Ann Cunningham Professor
Publisher:McGraw-Hill Education
Text book image
Earth Science (15th Edition)
Earth Science
ISBN:9780134543536
Author:Edward J. Tarbuck, Frederick K. Lutgens, Dennis G. Tasa
Publisher:PEARSON
Text book image
Environmental Science (MindTap Course List)
Earth Science
ISBN:9781337569613
Author:G. Tyler Miller, Scott Spoolman
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Text book image
Physical Geology
Earth Science
ISBN:9781259916823
Author:Plummer, Charles C., CARLSON, Diane H., Hammersley, Lisa
Publisher:Mcgraw-hill Education,