Continental Drift Examples

Continental drift is the movement of the Earth's continents relative to each other over geologic time. Examples of continental drift include:

1. The separation of the supercontinent Pangaea into the continents of Laurasia and Gondwana.

2. The movement of the African and South American continents away from each other, forming the South Atlantic Ocean.

3. The movement of the North American and Eurasian continents away from each other, forming the North Atlantic Ocean.

4. The movement of the Australian continent away from Antarctica, forming the Indian Ocean.

5. The movement of the Arabian Peninsula away from Africa, forming the Red Sea.

Did you know?

Did you know that the concept of continental drift was first proposed by German scientist Alfred Wegener in 1912? This theory suggests that the Earth's continents were once connected as a single landmass called Pangaea, which later broke apart and drifted to their current positions. The evidence supporting continental drift includes the fitting of the coastlines of South America and Africa, similarities in rock formations, and the distribution of fossils across continents. Examples of continental drift can be observed in the matching geological features on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, such as the Appalachian Mountains in North America and the Caledonian Mountains in Europe. This groundbreaking theory revolutionized geological understanding and led to the development of the modern theory of plate tectonics.