- Which continent resembles a close fit to South America?
- Why does South America and Africa have similar coastlines?
- What rocks are in South America?
- Why do some of the continents look like they could fit together?
- What were the two main problems that Wegener faced when he tried to convince others that his theory of drifting continents was valid?
- What was Wegener’s hypothesis called?
- What crust is thicker oceanic or continental?
- What crust is thicker but with less density?
- What are the main features of crust?
Which continent resembles a close fit to South America?
If you have ever looked at a map of the Atlantic Ocean, you have probably noticed that the coastlines of Africa and South America seem to fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. The fit between the two coastlines is even better when the edges of the continental shelf are compared.
Why does South America and Africa have similar coastlines?
Wegener suggested that the continents were all together in the geologic past, forming the supercontinent Pangaea. By 160 million years ago, continents had begun to drift to their present locations. Today’s coastlines of South America and Africa are a match because these two continents were once joined together.
What rocks are in South America?
South America is the fourth largest of the world’s continents which is composed of Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic rocks. Precambrian rocks constitute the oldest rocks of the continent and are preserved in the five core cratons.
Why do some of the continents look like they could fit together?
The continents fit together like pieces of a puzzle. Alfred Wegener proposed that the continents were once united into a single supercontinent named Pangaea, meaning all earth in ancient Greek. He suggested that Pangaea broke up long ago and that the continents then moved to their current positions.
What were the two main problems that Wegener faced when he tried to convince others that his theory of drifting continents was valid?
scientists attacked him with rage and hostility. Wegener had two main problems. First, he was an unknown outsider, not a geologist, who was challenging everything that scientists believed at the time. Second, he was not able to explain what caused the continents to drift.
What was Wegener’s hypothesis called?
Continental drift was a theory that explained how continents shift position on Earth’s surface. Set forth in 1912 by Alfred Wegener, a geophysicist and meteorologist, continental drift also explained why look-alike animal and plant fossils, and similar rock formations, are found on different continents.
What crust is thicker oceanic or continental?
Continental crust is typically 40 km (25 miles) thick, while oceanic crust is much thinner, averaging about 6 km (4 miles) in thickness.
What crust is thicker but with less density?
Oceanic crust
What are the main features of crust?
In geology, a crust is the outermost layer of a planet. The crust of the Earth is composed of a great variety of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. The crust is underlain by the mantle. The upper part of the mantle is composed mostly of peridotite, a rock denser than rocks common in the overlying crust.