Procedure: 1) Cut out each continent- cut along the dashed line. Cut out the key to paste onto your sheet later.

Transcription

1 Name: Pangea and Continental Drift Lab Science: Introduction: Alfred Wegener (a German Geologist), considered the Father of Plate Tectonics, was the first to coin the term Continental Drift. After collecting an array of geological data from continents all around the world, Wegener, in 1915, published his findings in a book called, The Origin of Continents and Oceans. He wrote about the geological data he collected and the conclusions he was able to make from the data. He suggested that a supercontinent he called Pangaea had existed in the past, broke up starting 200 million years ago, and that the pieces ``drifted'' to their present positions. He based his conclusions on the puzzle piece-like fit of South America and Africa, ancient climate similarities (such as glacial evidence and coal deposits), fossil evidence (such as the fern Glossopteris and mesosaurus), and similarity of rock structures. Pre-lab Questions: 1) What did Wegener call the supercontinent that once existed approximately 200 million years ago? 2) What pieces of evidence did Wegener use to support his claim that the continents were once combined together to form a supercontinent? Problem: Based on the geological evidence Wegener collected on various continents around the world, how were the continents pieced together 200 million years ago to form the supercontinent called Pangaea? Procedure: 1) Cut out each continent- cut along the dashed line. Cut out the key to paste onto your sheet later. 2) Use the key provided in this lab to see what each of the symbols on the continents represent. 3) Like puzzle pieces, arrange the continents together to form the supercontinent Pangaea- match up corresponding fossils, rock types, and other features as you piece it together. 4) Once you are satisfied with your arrangement and Mr. Houston has checked it, paste your supercontinent onto the sheet titled, PANGAEA at the top. Center your supercontinent in the middle of the ellipse as best as possible. Note how the geologic evidence (matching fossils, rock types/ages, and glacial features) that Wegener found match up between the continents.

2 Analysis and Conclusion Questions (Please Answer in Complete Sentences): 1. India is currently located near the equator (in a warm, tropical climate with no glaciers)- explain how it s possible that rocks in India have ancient glacial grooves and scratch marks (also called striations) on them? 2. Explain how fossil evidence supports Wegener s Theory of Continental Drift. 3. What other piece of evidence, besides matching fossils, can be used to support the Theory of Continental Drift? 4. Coal forms when organic (plant) material is deposited and buried in thick layers. This generally happens in tropical forests and swamps. Coal deposits (and plant fossils) have been found deep below the ice sheets within Antarctica s bedrock. What does this suggest about the type of climate that once existed on Antarctica? Explain. Use pgs. 5, 8, and 9 in your ESRT to answer questions 5-6: 5. What feature on the ocean floor, running through the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, represents where South America and Africa were once joined together? 5a. Describe the direction of motion between the South American Plate and African Plate relative to the position of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. 6. Using pg. 9 in your ESRT, during what geologic time period did Pangaea begin to break up? How many years ago did this occur?

3 7. On average, the Earth s plates move about 4 cm per year. What distance, in kilometers, would a typical plate travel in 1,000,000 years? 8. In your own words, describe the Theory of Continental Drift and the pieces of evidence Wegener used to support his theory. 9. Wegener had one major weakness in his Theory of Continental Drift. He could not explain what force was causing the plates to move? Provide a possible solution to this problem.

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