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DAILY
CLASS NOTES
Geography

Lecture -02
Continental Drift Theory
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Continental Drift Theory

Evolution of Landforms:

❖ About the theory: Continental Drift Theory was propounded by Alfred Wegener in 1912. According to this
theory, there was a supercontinent known as Pangaea which was surrounded by a large ocean called
Panthalassa. Around 225 million years ago, Pangaea broke into separate parts.
❖ Various stages of the Continental Drift Theory:
 Stage I: Wegener proposed that around 225 million years ago, Earth must have once been a single
supercontinent/ mega landmass which he termed as Pangaea (land masses connected with each other:
Pan= Entire and Gaea= Landmass) before breaking up to form several different continents.
 The mega landmass was slightly positioned towards the south. This explained how similar rock
formations and plant and animal fossils could exist on separated continents.
 Pangaea was surrounded by a water body named Panthalassa (Pan= Entire and Thalassa= Water
Body).
 Stage II: In the second stage around 200 million years ago in the Jurassic period, the supercontinent,
Pangaea, began to split because of certain forces either Sorthwards (Laurasia) or Southwards
(Gondwanaland). Laurasia got its name from the river flowing in North America named St. Lawrence
River.
 Pangaea first broke into large continental masses as Laurasia and Gondwanaland formed the
northern and southern components respectively.
 This phase is known as Opening Up of Tethys Sea. The water body present in between Laurasia
and Gondwanaland was named as the Tethys Sea.
 Stage III: Laurasia further broke into North America and Eurasia while Gondwanaland broke into
Peninsular India, Madagascar, Africa, South America, Australia and Antarctica. When India was
a part of the Gondwanaland, it was closer to the higher latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere and
glaciers there must have been glaciers in the Chotanagpur.
 There were two types of drifting: One towards the west and towards the north. So, now with the
drifting of North America and South America towards the west, there was the formation of the
Atlantic Ocean in between.
 Now the northward drifting of Indian and Africa reduced the size of the Tethys Sea and also
opened up the Indian Ocean.
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 While Wegner was looking at the Chotanagpur Plateau region he noticed certain peculiarities in
terms of glacial striations.
 Gondwanaland was named after the Gond tribes who inhabited the Chottanagpur Plateau
region. Along with rifting, there was drifting too (moving from one position to another).
 Now when Laurasia was close to the Northern Hemisphere, it is highly possible that depositions
of plants and animals finally led to the formation of coal.
❖ This can be linked to as how Wegner found out that Kiruna (present location is at a very high latitude so
presence of plants and vegetation is to be least resulting no coal formation), a city in Sweden gave evidence
of coal deposits and the Chota Nagpur Plateau (present location near Tropic of Cancer) gave out evidences
of glacial marks.

Extra Edge:
❖ Remnants of Tethys Sea: Many major seas and lakes of Europe and Western Asia, including the
Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, the Aral Sea, and Lake Urmia, are thought to be
remnants of the Paratethys.
 There are multiple plates colliding with each other in the Mediterranean region which ultimately leads
to the formation of volcanoes.
❖ Why is the Atlantic Ocean ‘S’ shaped?
 The drifting of North America and South America towards the west would not happen at the same pace.
 So, the differential movement between the two continents results in the ‘S’ of the Atlantic Ocean.

❖ Stage IV: Formation of Island Nations (Sri Lanka, Japan New Zealand, Caribbean Islands) According to
Wegner, the islands were formed due to the differential rate of movement of the continents.
 With both rifting and drifting being continuous, during the movement of North and South America
towards the west, a few of their land masses (Caribbean Island) could not cope with the speed of the
drifting, these became separate islands.
 Same with India (Sri Lanka), Asia (Japan) and Australia (New Zealand).
 The original Panthalassa was reduced in size to form the present day pacific ocean.
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Interesting Fact:
❖ India is the only nation in the world which inhabits both lion (African species) and tigers (Asian and
tropical species) together.
 But before the drifting of the continents as India was located beside Africa, India had developed and
adapted itself to the weather conditions of Africa too. This links as to how lions are found together with
tigers.
❖ The Nawab of Junagadh was a pioneer in initiating lion conservation efforts, marking the beginning of
efforts to protect these majestic creatures, a legacy continued today in Gujarat's Gir National Park.
❖ Reason behind the extinction of species:
 Increase in population of a species in a particular location and if by chance any disease strikes, the
entire population gets wiped out.
 In-breeding depression: When close relations mate with each other, their offspring will not have such
genetic variation which would decrease their chances of survival.
 Example: Population of Red Pandas decreasing in Manas National Park.
❖ Tigers are mostly found in the lower level of the Himalayas because it is closer to Tropic of Cancer.

Evidence placed by Wegner to prove the theory of Continental Drift to be correct:

 Jig-saw Fit of the continents: When facing one another, The bulge of Brazil (South America) seems to fit
into the Gulf of Guinea (Africa).
 Greenland seems to fit in well with Ellesmere and Baffin Island of Canada.
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 The west coast of India, Madagascar

and Africa seem to have been joined.
 Behaviour of Animals: A particular type
of rodent named as Lemmings are found
in Norway, Sweden and Finland.
 On an increase in population of
lemmings, these creatures start
running towards the west because it
has been apprehended that Norway,
Finland and Sweden are still
connected with each other and
finally they fall into the ocean in
between.
 Even now when the forests of
Madagascar would catch fire, the
animals would run towards their
west because they are not aware that Madagascar is no longer attached with Africa. They do this because
of the impact of one’s habit.
 Placer Deposits: There are huge gold deposits in the western Africa especially Ghana but there is no
source rock in the immediate vicinity.
 The fact that gold-bearing rocks may be found across the Atlantic in South America. When the two
continents are laid side by side, it appears that Ghana's gold reserves are sourced from the Brazil plateau
as the River Amazon washed away those gold particles from the rock and deposited it on the coast of
Ghana when both of them were connected.
 Distribution of Fossils: Many fossils of identical flora and fauna found in Brazil, Africa, Peninsular India and
Australia, and Antarctica. .
 For example, Mesosaurus, a shallow freshwater crocodile-like reptile that would have swam its way all
the way from South America to Southern Africa. This was possible only because the continents were
joined with each other and later drifted apart. Similarly, glossopoteris (plant species) was found in
different locations.
 Rocks of Same Age Across the Oceans: In North America, we have the Appalacians. Beside that we have
the Scandinavian mountain range, Kjolen. Wegner noticed that the age, mineral composition and characteristic
of the rocks were similar in both the mountain ranges. Now, he assumed that these ranges were stuck together
and later drifted apart.
 Tillite deposits: Tillite is a type of sedimentary rock formed by glacier deposits. It reveals that the antiquity
of both landmasses was strikingly similar.
 If tillite deposits are found on the Chotanagpur plateau it would mean that in the earlier times, glaciers
were present in the Chotanagpur plateau and after the glaciers would melt, it would leave its mark called
glacial striations.
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Forces Responsible for Drifting:

 Tidal Forces: According to Wegner, tidal forces were responsible for the drifting of continents. Believers of
the continental drift theory state that during full moon and new moon, drifting happened.
 Pole-Fleeing Force (Centrifugal Force): According to Wegner, this force was responsible for the northwards
movement of the continents.
 The polar-fleeing force relates to the rotation of the earth. Earth is not a perfect sphere; it has a bulge at
the equator.
 This bulge is due to the rotation of the earth (greater centrifugal force at the equator). Centrifugal force
increases as we move from poles towards the equator. This increase in centrifugal force has led to pole
fleeing, according to Wegener.
 Buoyancy Force: Buoyancy is the upward force exerted by a fluid (such as water) that allows objects (like
ships) to stay afloat within that fluid. In the context of continental drift theory, due to the buoyancy force less
dense continental crust "floats" on denser mantle material, causing the continents to move across the Earth's
surface over geological time.
 Gravitational Force: Wegener asserted that the gravitational force operates at the center of mass, which
coincides with the equatorial regions. This gravitational force, acting as an attractive force, began pulling
different landmasses toward the equator. This explains the movement of India toward the equator.

Criticism of the CDT:

 Wegner could not explain the trigger mechanism behind the breaking down of the Pangaea and even could
not explain the sequence of drifting.
 This theory was heavily based on assumptions such as apparent affinity of physical features can be a mere
coincidence because the shore lines change with time due to actions of the wave.
 Forces propounded by Alfred Wegner were not sufficient enough to drift such big land masses because
tidal forces cannot be so strong which would result in both rifting and drifting.
 Wegener did not provide an explanation for why the drift commenced approximately 225 million years
ago, rather than earlier.

Probable Mains Question:

1. Define continental drift theory, and explain the process by which this has impacted upon geographical
distribution of Fona restricting it to certain regions only. (15 marks)
2. Discuss the Continental Drift Theory in relation to the distribution of plants and other species across the
globe. (10 marks)

Important Points from the Lecture to be Noted:

❖ Sargassum grass is found in the Sargasso Sea. This region has Cuba (helped by Russia) in its left because of
which America with the help of National Geography implanted a theory called the ‘Theory of Bermuda
Triangle.’
❖ Finland is the country of lakes because of melting of glaciers along with the formation of pits while melting.
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❖ Great Lakes: Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario (HOMES)

 Only Lake Michigan is completely in the USA whereas the other 4 share their boundary between the
USA and Canada.
❖ Niagara Falls are on Erie and Ontario
❖ Rocky mountains are the young fold mountains of the world.
❖ The Aravali mountain range in India ranks among the world's most old folded mountain ranges.
❖ Speciation: Speciation is how a new kind of plant or animal species is created. Speciation occurs when a
group within a species separates from other members of its species and develops its own unique characteristic.

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