{"id":27440,"date":"2024-02-15T11:53:04","date_gmt":"2024-02-15T11:53:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/?p=27440"},"modified":"2024-02-15T11:53:06","modified_gmt":"2024-02-15T11:53:06","slug":"what-do-you-understand-about-the-theory-of-continental-drift-discuss-the-prominent-evidence-in-its-support-5-marks-100-words","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/what-do-you-understand-about-the-theory-of-continental-drift-discuss-the-prominent-evidence-in-its-support-5-marks-100-words\/","title":{"rendered":"What do you understand about the theory of \u2018continental drift\u2019? Discuss the prominent evidence in its support. (5 marks 100 words)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/upsc\/upsc-gs-advance-and-mentorship-program-ampcsat?utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=Link&amp;utm_campaign=GS+Advanced\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Attempt-our-Daily-Weekly-Current-Affairs-Quiz-now-8.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-43397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Attempt-our-Daily-Weekly-Current-Affairs-Quiz-now-8.png 1280w, https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Attempt-our-Daily-Weekly-Current-Affairs-Quiz-now-8-1170x274.png 1170w, https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Attempt-our-Daily-Weekly-Current-Affairs-Quiz-now-8-585x137.png 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The theory of continental drift posits that Earth&#8217;s continents were once joined together as a single supercontinent, Pangaea, and have since drifted apart over geological time due to the movement of tectonic plates. This revolutionary idea, proposed by Alfred Wegener in the early 20th century, was initially met with skepticism but has since become widely accepted. Evidence supporting continental drift includes the fitting together of continents like puzzle pieces, matching geological formations and fossil evidence across continents separated by vast oceans, similarities in rock formations and mountain ranges, and the distribution of ancient climates and species. These lines of evidence provide compelling support for the theory of continental drift, revolutionizing our understanding of Earth&#8217;s geological history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p><strong>Tags: <\/strong>Salient Features of World\u2019s physical geography \u2013 Geomorphology.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_73 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69e0f6bbb460b\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69e0f6bbb460b\"  \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/what-do-you-understand-about-the-theory-of-continental-drift-discuss-the-prominent-evidence-in-its-support-5-marks-100-words\/#Decoding_the_Question\" title=\"Decoding the Question:&nbsp;&nbsp;\">Decoding the Question:&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/what-do-you-understand-about-the-theory-of-continental-drift-discuss-the-prominent-evidence-in-its-support-5-marks-100-words\/#Answer\" title=\"Answer:&nbsp;&nbsp;\">Answer:&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/what-do-you-understand-about-the-theory-of-continental-drift-discuss-the-prominent-evidence-in-its-support-5-marks-100-words\/#Theory_of_%E2%80%98Continental_Drift\" title=\"Theory of \u2018Continental Drift\u2019:&nbsp;&nbsp;\">Theory of \u2018Continental Drift\u2019:&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/what-do-you-understand-about-the-theory-of-continental-drift-discuss-the-prominent-evidence-in-its-support-5-marks-100-words\/#Evidence_that_supports_the_theory\" title=\"Evidence that supports the theory:&nbsp;\">Evidence that supports the theory:&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/what-do-you-understand-about-the-theory-of-continental-drift-discuss-the-prominent-evidence-in-its-support-5-marks-100-words\/#In_case_you_still_have_your_doubts_contact_us_on_9811333901\" title=\"In case you still have your doubts, contact us on 9811333901.&nbsp;\">In case you still have your doubts, contact us on 9811333901.&nbsp;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/what-do-you-understand-about-the-theory-of-continental-drift-discuss-the-prominent-evidence-in-its-support-5-marks-100-words\/#Visit_our_YouTube_Channel_%E2%80%93_here\" title=\"Visit our YouTube Channel &#8211;&nbsp;here\">Visit our YouTube Channel &#8211;&nbsp;here<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Decoding_the_Question\"><\/span><strong>Decoding the Question:<\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>In Introduction, try to start the answer with the background of continental drift theory.<\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><li><strong>In Body,<\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><li><strong>Discuss postulations of continental drift theory.<\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><li><strong>Discuss the prominent evidence in the support of the theory.<\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><li><strong>Conclude with mentioning its importance in leading to geomorphology.&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Answer\"><\/span><strong>Answer:<\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Continental drift theory deals with the distribution of the oceans and the continents. It was first suggested by a German meteorologist, Alfred Wegener in 1912.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Theory_of_%E2%80%98Continental_Drift\"><\/span><strong>Theory of \u2018Continental Drift\u2019:<\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>According to Wegener, <strong>all the continents formed a single continental mass<\/strong>, and the mega ocean surrounded the same. The supercontinent was named <strong>Pangaea<\/strong>, the mega-ocean was called <strong>Panthalassa<\/strong>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><li>He argued that the supercontinent, <strong>Pangaea, began to split <\/strong>around 200 million years ago. Pangaea firstly broke into two large continental masses <strong>as Laurasia and Gondwanaland<\/strong> creating the northern and southern components, respectively.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><li>Eventually, Laurasia and Gondwanaland continued to break into various smaller continents as it can be seen today. The <strong>Tethys<\/strong> Ocean existed <strong>between<\/strong> the continents of Gondwanaland and Laurasia.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"476\" height=\"408\" data-src=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/image-20.png\" alt=\"Continental drift\" class=\"wp-image-27443 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 476px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 476\/408;\" \/><figcaption>Continental drift<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Evidence_that_supports_the_theory\"><\/span><strong>Evidence that supports the theory:<\/strong>&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>The Matching of Continents (Jig-Saw-Fit):<\/strong> The shorelines of Africa and South America facing each other match remarkably.&nbsp;<\/li><li><strong>Rocks of Same Age Across the Oceans:<\/strong> radiometric dating methods have correlated the rock formation in different continents.&nbsp;<\/li><li><strong>Tillite:<\/strong> The glacial tillite found in the Gondwana system of sediments has its resemblance to six different landmasses of the Southern Hemisphere. Counterparts of this succession are found in Africa, Falkland Island, Madagascar, Antarctica and Australia besides India.&nbsp;<\/li><li><strong>Placer Deposits:<\/strong> The placer deposits of gold in the Ghana coast do not have source rock in the region. The gold deposits of Ghana have been derived from the Brazil plateau when the two continents lay side by side&nbsp;<\/li><li><strong>Distribution of Fossils:<\/strong> identical species of plants and animals adapted to living on land or in freshwater are found on either side of the marine barriers. For example, remains of Mesosaurus, a freshwater crocodile-like reptile that lived during the early Permian (between 286 and 258 million years ago), are found solely in Southern Africa and Eastern South America.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Continental drift theory may be outdated and was not approved by recent geological scientists. But it is true that <strong>continental drift theory is the pillar stone of geomorphology<\/strong>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/upsc\/upsc-essay?utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=Banner&amp;utm_campaign=Essay\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/UPSC-Essay-Course-1280\u00d7300-1-3.svg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42688 lazyload\" width=\"781\" height=\"182\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 781px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 781\/182;\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"In_case_you_still_have_your_doubts_contact_us_on_9811333901\"><\/span><strong>In case you still have your doubts, contact us on 9811333901.<\/strong>&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For UPSC Prelims Resources,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/upsc-cse-prelims-resource-centre\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Click here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Daily Updates and Study Material:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Join our Telegram Channel &#8211;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/WithEdukemy4IAS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Edukemy for IAS<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>1. Learn through Videos &#8211;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3vOD8sU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a><\/li><li>2. Be Exam Ready by Practicing Daily MCQs &#8211;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3Q9z2nF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a><\/li><li>3. Daily Newsletter &#8211; Get all your Current Affairs Covered &#8211;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3bE2y5J\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a><\/li><li>4. Mains Answer Writing Practice &#8211;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3mZuVxl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Visit_our_YouTube_Channel_%E2%80%93_here\"><\/span>Visit our YouTube Channel &#8211;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@ShabbirsEduKemyforIAS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The theory of continental drift posits that Earth&#8217;s continents were once joined together as a single supercontinent, Pangaea, and have since drifted apart over geological time due to the movement of tectonic plates.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":27441,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1401],"tags":[1950,186,142,232,145,140],"class_list":["post-27440","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-upsc-mains-solved-paper-gs-1","tag-continental-drift","tag-general-studies-1","tag-previous_year_questions","tag-upsc","tag-upsc-mains-question-paper","tag-upsc_preparation_strategy"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27440","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27440"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27440\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27444,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27440\/revisions\/27444"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27441"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27440"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27440"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27440"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}