Download Plate Tectonics - Introduction and Evidence of Movement

Plate Tectonics Introduction

The Earth’s surface is made up if interlocking plates of various shapes and sizes
o Tectonic plates
o Volcanoes and earthquake fault lines are clues to location
 These types of activities also found at points of high elevation – uplift
Evidence of Tectonic Plates Shifting
Phenomenon
Explain the phenomenon

Animals have been found
on both sides of the
Atlantic Ocean

Scientists know the
animals could not have
traveled across the ocean
Animal Fossils

Same animal fossils in 2 locations that
are very far apart
o Those 2 locations must have been
touching in the past

Since there are Lystrosaurus fossils (found
where it is warm) in Antarctica (very cold
climate)
o Antarctica used to be in a
different location and closer to
the equator

Fossils from a green fern
have been found in places
with really warm or
really cold climates)

Same fossils in many locations that are
separated by oceans
o These areas must have been
touching in the past

Green fern trees grow in
areas with calm/mild
climates

The leaves would not have traveled that
far

Valleys that were carved
by glaciers in the past
have been found in very
arid (dry) places like
Africa

There is evidence of glaciers in places
that are dry
o This tells us that the continents
must have moved to different
locations
Plant Fossils
Glacial
Evidence
How does this help me understand Earth’s
past?
Fit of
Continents
Rock
Sequences

South America and
Africa fit together like a
puzzle

Part of North America
and Africa fit together
like a puzzle

Rock sequences in South
America and Africa are
the same

There is a huge ocean
separating these
continents

Plants are needed to form
coal

Coal has been found in
Antarctica (usually not
found there)

Animal fossils have been
found in Antarctica that
could not survive the cold
climate
Climate
Changes in
Antarctica
.

Since the continents fit together like a
puzzle, this is evidence that the continents
once formed a supercontinent

Same rock sequence in 2 locations that
are far apart
o These 2 continents must have
been together in the past

Coal and animal fossils have been found
in Antarctica that would never survive the
cold climate
o This tells us that Antarctica has
moved