Formation of Earth’s

Continents

SCIENTIFIC

NON-SCIENTIFIC

FORMATION OF EARTH’S CONTINENTS

Continent comes from the word (continere, Latin for “to hold together”), a derivation that implies a structural unity, though not necessarily dry land.

A large mass, as a distinct from an island, which is smaller landmass surrounded by water.

WHAT IS A CONTINENT

Australia EuropeAntarctica South AmericaNorth America Africa Asia

7 continents

THE EARTH’S INTERIOR

SCIENTIFIC FORMATION OF EARTH’S CONTINENT

SHRINKING EARTH

The Scientist said that the Earth cooled from its original molten state.

The cooling process caused the Earth to shrink as it hardened.

SHRINKING EARTH

SCIENTIFIC FORMATION OF EARTH’S CONTINENT

DRIFTING CONTINEN

TS

Over the years a new description of earth’s surface---one that suggested that the continents were actually moving and changing---developed.

One of the first proponent of this idea was..

DRIFTING CONTINENTS

FRANCIS BACON17th Century Scientist

ANTONIO SNIDER-PELLIGRINI1858

ALFRED WEGENER1912

CONTINENTAL DRIFT THEORY

SCIENTIFIC FORMATION OF EARTH’S CONTINENT

CONTINENTAL DRIFT THEORY

WATCH VIDEO…ENJOY

From the Greek word pan, meaning all, and ge, meaning Earth.

PANGEA

LAURASIA(Northern HEMISPHERE)

GONDWANALAND(Southern hemisphere)

TWO HUGE CONTINENTS

North America

Europe AsiaGreenland

LAURASIA

AfricaSouth AmericaAntarcticaAustraliaIndia

Gondwanaland

PLATE TECTONIC

S

SCIENTIFIC FORMATION OF EARTH’S CONTINENT

Revolutionized scientific thinking about the earth and showed that continental drift may, in fact, occur.

In 1950’s scientist began studying ocean floor in more detail than ever before. Speacial sonar(SOH-nar) equipment that uses sound waves to detect underwater objects helped scientist gather information.

Plate Tectonics

LITHOSPHEREEludicates the outermost layer.

ATHENOSPEHERE Is where the plates slide over the Earth’s mantle.

CONTINENTAL

OCEANIC

PLATES

LITHOSPERIC plates, slowly moves in different directions.

Relative motion of plates w/ respect to adjacent places

DIVERGENT MARGIN

CONVERGENT MARGIN

SHEAR

MOVEMENT

ENJOY!

Watch Video

This is an example of a divergent plate boundary (where the plates move away from each other). The Atlantic Ocean was created by this process. The mid-Atlantic Ridge is an area where new sea floor is being created.

As the rift valley expands two continental plates have been constructed from the original one. The molten rock continues to push the crust apart creating new crust as it does.

 

As the rift valley expands, water collects forming a sea. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is now 2,000 metres above the adjacent sea floor, which is at a depth of about 6,000 metres below sea level

The sea floor continues to spread and the plates get bigger and bigger. This process can be seen all over the world and produces about 17 square kilometres of new plate every year.

 

SUBDUCTION

NOTE:The key to subduction seems to be water which acts as a kind of lubricant as the heavier plate slips underneath the lighter plate.

CONVERGENT

EXAMPLE (Convergent)

The Himalayas and Mount Everest

In some regions two lithospheric platesslide past one another in opposite directions,without converging or diverging. Such platemargins are called shear margins. As a resultof this, these regions have developed intozones of faulting or shearing . The San AndreasFault Zone of California is an example ofsuch a plate margin. Shear margins are zonesof tectonic activity characterized by frequentearthquakes. Some regions of the Earth arelocalities where three lithospheric plate marginsmeet together. Such plate margins are called‘triple junctions’.

Antonio Snider, who in 1859 first proposed horizontal movement of continents catastrophically during the Genesis flood. The statements inside Genesis 1:9-10  about the gathering together of the seas in one place, which implies there was one landmass, influenced his thinking.

NON SCIENTIFIC

The gods shook the Earth and moved the continents with heavy metal (Thunder and rock).

Giants

Asteroids

Ocean and sky (Dagat at langit)

NON SCIENTIFIC