Continental Drift Theory

Presentation By:
Sarath Babu.M.G
Acknowledgement to :
Asha Krishnan, Rojin Jacob and Sunu Manoharan
 Introduction
 In 1912, a German Scholar
Alfred Lothar Wegener
Proposed the Concept of
“Continental Drift Theory ”
 In 1924, the theory became
popular in the scientific
world
 Wegener hypothesized that
the continents were slowly
drifting around the Earth.

Alfred Lothar Wegener

 Theory
 The continents part sial floats
on the oceanic part sima

 There was only one continent

called, Pangea at the
beginning

 It was surrounded by a large

and deep ocean, Panthalassa.
Drifiting
Drifiting
Stages of Drifting
• At Later stage, certain portion of this
landmass drifted towards north and west
 Formation of Atlantic Ocean
• As a result, Atlantic
Ocean were formed
and in between
Americas and Europe-
Africa.
 India
 Indian Sub-continent drifted
northwards results the formation
of Himalayas
 The Himalayas were formed by
the converging of the Eurasian
plate and the Indian plate.
 Antarctica
• All the Southern lands
broke apart the central
part of it drifted
towards south pole to
form Antarctica
Evidences
 Evidences of Jig-saw fit of
Evidences 1
Coastlines of western
Europe & Western Africa
on one side and North &
South America on the
other side
 Evidences 2
 Similarities of Fossils from the
both sides of continents of
Atlantic Ocean
• Glossopteris
• Cynognathus
• Mesosaurus
• Lystrosaurus
 Evidences left by the Evidences 3
ice age in the
continents during the
Permian and
Carboniferous period
 Evidence 4
 Pattern of global
distribution of
fold mountains
Criticism
 Criticisms
 The theory does not indicate
any force bring about drift of
the continents
 This theory presupposes
sima to be floating over it.
 Several critics say that
different continents can fit in
the other to be a certain
extend only.
 Some questioned about the
time and direction of the
drift.
Conclusion
 Conclusion
 Inspite of all criticism the
resemblances between the
continents, Wegner has
uncovered are definite proofs
that this solid land we stand
on has been a good deal of a
footloose wanderer in its time
Questions ?
Thank you