If all the continents where once one than when they moved where did all the earth go that was under the water surounding them? Also why did they shrink the size of continants and get rid of central america to fit them all together?
2006-07-06 01:02:46 · 5 answers · asked by firefly 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
this should answer your question
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pangaea
2006-07-07 04:17:19 · answer #1 · answered by unitedfaith 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
the continents were once mostly together, but before that they were apart, they are just floating around, and sometimes they come together
people believe in Pangaea because it is the best explanation so far of why similar rock and fossils are found on now separated continents (like South America and Africa) and because it fits together well with what we know about plate tectonics and the way the surface of the earth currently behaves
continents probably didn't shrink, sea level may have changed flooding or exposing the margins of the continents making it look like they shrunk or expanded.
2006-07-06 11:13:06 · answer #2 · answered by anonacoup 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The land masses we inhabit are floating on a fluid layer, and parts of them melt while new land is created.
Why do we believe it? Because the evidence supports it:
- the shapes of the continents (Central America rose later)
- the distributions of fossils, glacial traces and rock types in the current continents
- the paleomagnetic evidence (residual magnetization in rocks)
- the topology of the sea flor (its ridges and trenches) and the age of the rocks found on the sea floor
- the actual movement of the plates, which have been confirmed using GPS (satelital measurements).
More information about plate tectonics:
http://earth.geol.ksu.edu/sgao/g100/plots/
http://www.cas.muohio.edu/limpermuseum/InvestigateConceptsInGeology/thebigpicture/platetectonics.htm
2006-07-06 09:46:16 · answer #3 · answered by Calimecita 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if u look closely at all the continents on the globe they really do look/favor a gigantic puzzle piece..i believe entirely in the pangaea theory..there have been too many similarities in findings among archeological digs and excavacutions to just shun the fact that all these places where not connected at one time..
2006-07-06 10:06:41 · answer #4 · answered by shawnnw 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
subduction.. when the plates came together, one plate goes underneath and melts down... other places there are volcanoes which release the pressure creating more land
2006-07-06 08:07:18 · answer #5 · answered by greengunge 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋