The Continental Drift Theory

• Alfred Wegner - German meteorologist - 1912.
• "All the continent formed a single continental mass (PANGAEA, meaning all earth) and mega ocean  (PANTHALASSA, meaning all water) surrounded the same".
• According to him 200 million years ago Pangaea began to split into Laurasia and Gondwanaland, subsequently they continued to break into various smaller continents that exists today.

Evidences in support of the Continental Drift:

1. The matching of continents.
2. Rocks of same age across the oceans.
3. Tillite (sedimentary rocks formed out of deposits of glaciers, it provides unambiguous evidence of palaeoclimates (climates of past ages) and also of drifting theory).
4. Placer deposits ( a placer deposit or placer is an accumulation of valuable minerals formed by gravity separation during sedimentary processes. The name is from the Spanish word placer, meaning "alluvial sand". Placer mining is an important source of gold, and was the main technique used in the early years of many gold rushes).
5. Distribution of fossils.

Force for Drifting:

1. Pole-fleeing force: It relates to the rotation of the Earth. 
2. The tidal force: Attraction of the moon and the sun that develops tides in oceanic waters.

Evidences against Continental Drift Theory:

1. Convectional Current Theory: They operate at mantle portion and are generated due to radioactive elements causing thermal differences in the mantle portion. They cause the splitting in the earth crust along the mid ocean ridges.
2. Mapping of the Ocean Floor: Ocean floor is full of relief and indicates existence of submerged mountain ranges as well as deep trenches. Rocks from oceanic crust are much younger than the rocks at continental areas.