21.07.
2024
Evidence supporting the
Continental Drift Theory
Teesha Midha & Noorpreet Kaur
The Matching of Continents (Jig-Saw-Fit)
The coastlines of South America and Africa fronting each
other have a remarkable and unique match.
In 1964, Bullard created a map using a computer program
to find the right fit of the Atlantic margin and it proved
to be quiet.
Rocks of the Same Age across the
Oceans
The radiometric dating methods have helped
in correlating the formation of rocks present
in different continents across the ocean.
The ancient rocks belts on the coast of Brazil
match with those found in Western Africa.
The old marine deposits found on the coasts
of South America and Africa belong to the
Jurassic Age. This implies that the ocean
never existed before that time.
Tillite
It is the sedimentary rock made from glacier deposits.
The Gondwana system of sediments from India is
recognized as having its counterparts in 6 different
landmasses in the Southern Hemisphere.
Counterparts of this series are found in Madagascar,
Africa, Antarctica, Falkland Island, and Australia not
to mention India.
At the base, the system has thick tillite signifying
widespread and sustained glaciation.
Generally, the similarity of the Gondwana-type
sediments shows that these landmasses had
exceptionally similar origins.
The glacial tillite gives clear evidence for
palaeoclimates and the drifting of continents.
The presence of abundant placer deposits
of gold along the Ghana coast and the
complete lack of its source rocks in the
area is a phenomenal fact.
The gold-bearing veins are present in
Brazil and it is evident that the gold
deposits of Ghana in Africa are obtained
from the Brazil plateau from the time
when the two continents were beside each
other.
Placer Deposits The widespread distribution of Permo-
Carboniferous glacial sediments in South
America, Africa, Madagascar, Arabia,
India, Antarctica, and Australia was one
of the major pieces of evidence for the
theory of continental drift.
The continuity of glaciers, inferred
from oriented glacial striations and
deposits called tillites, suggested the
existence of the supercontinent of
Gondwana, which became a central element
of the concept of continental drift.
Distribution of Fossils
The interpretations that Lemurs occur in India, Africa,
and Madagascar led to the theory of a landmass named
“Lemuria” connecting these 3 landmasses.
Mesosaurus was a tiny reptile adapted to shallow
brackish water.
The skeletons of these creatures are found in the Traver
formations of Brazil and the Southern Cape Province of
South Africa.
