Ch-4 (DISTRIBUTION OF OCEANS AND CONTINENTS)

· Continents cover 29 percent of the earth surface of the earth and rest under oceanic waters.

 CONTINENTAL DRIFT
Abraham Ortelius, a Dutch map maker, proposed two Americas, Europe, and Africa to be once
joined together as early as 1596.
Alfred wegner(german meterologist) who put forth a comprehensive argument in the form of
the ‘continental drift theory’ in 1912. – regarding the distribution of oceans and continents.
Single continental mass(named-PANGAEA-all earth) and mega ocean(PANTHALASSA-ALL
WATER) surrounded the same.
200 Million years ago pangaea—two large continental masses as laurasia(northen) and
gondwanaland(southern).
Both laurasia and gondwanaland—various continents that exist today.

 Evidence in support of the continental frift

1. The matching of continents(jig saw-fit)—shorelines of africa and south america .
2. Rocks of same age across the ocean— the belt of ancient rocks of 2000 million years
from brazil coast matches with those from western africa.