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Continental Drift

In 1915, the German geologist and 

meteorologist Alfred Wegener first proposed the 

theory of continental drift, which states that 

parts of the Earth's crust slowly drift atop a 

liquid core. The fossil record supports and gives 

credence to the theories of continental drift and 

plate tectonics. 

Continental Drift 

Alfred Wegener learned that related species, 

too small to swim the oceans, were found on 

different continents, as were similar fossils.

Plate Tectonics 

Plate tectonics is the theory that Earth's outer 

shell is divided into several plates that glide 

over the mantle, the rocky inner layer above 

the core. The plates act like a hard and rigid 

shell compared to Earth's mantle. This strong 

outer layer is called the lithosphere.

Plate Tectonics 

In line with other previous and 

contemporaneous proposals, in 1912 

the meteorologist Alfred Wegener 

amply described what he called 

continental drift, expanded in his 1915 

book The Origin of Continents and 

Oceans and the scientific debate started 

that would end up fifty years later in the 

theory of plate tectonics.

Boundaries

Types of plate Boundaries: The three main 

types of boundaries are convergent,divergent, 

and transform fault boundaries.

Divergent Boundaries: occurs when two 

plates move apart. This process results in 

upwelling of material from the mantle to create 

new seafloor.

Convergent Boundaries: Convergent 

Boundaries form where two plates 

move together. This process results in 

ocean lithosphere plunging beneath an 

overriding plate and descending into the 

mantle.

Most mountain building occurs at convergent 

plate boundaries. Colliding plates providing the 

compression forces that fold, fault, and 

metamorphose the thick layers of sediments 

deposited at the edge of landmasses.

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