The Super Continent Cycle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Super Continent Cycle - Essay ExampleThis has been made possible by place tectonics, the system driving Earths continents slowly around the globe. Plate tectonics is the study of the movement of the huge plates of the landmass beneath the earth surface which results into drifting of the continents.This supposition of drifting continents was proposed by German scientist Alfred Wegener for the first time in 1912. He used many types of evidence available in abundance on the earths surface. many of the evidences pointing out such supercontinent cycle areFossil Remains Similar types of plant and animal dodos were found in different areas of continents which were studied to be connected. For example, the fossil remains of a small reptile found both in Africa and Latin America.Rock Formations In the coastal regions, the rocks were found to be matching however in areas which were widely separated. To prove this point Wegener came out with the proof suggesting the reconstruction of a n ice cap radiating from South Africa, whose marks were traced across the southern continents. climatical Conditions Some climatic patterns were observed which were not in conformity with the normal climate of the region/s, thus suggesting that these climatic conditions could have been affected by the climatic conditions at some other places or regions. Wegeners hypothesis therefore led us to believe that while on the one hand the some of the horse opera African regions have similarities with the eastern part of South America the northern part of African continent had similarities with the southern regions of North America. Similarities were also found in the southern part of Asian region and the western part of African continent, thus giving the thought an impetus. Initially though Wegeners hypothesis was not taken seriously, but gradually, as the system of plate tectonics developed in 1960s, more and more studies took place, the notions of supercontinent gained wider acceptance . The plate tectonics theory believes that the surface of earth is split into a number of shifting plates with an average thickness of around 50-80 km. African, American, Antarctic, Eurasian, Indian and Pacific regions have all been assigned huge plates while smaller landmasses with smaller plates are identified as Arabian, Caribbean, Cocos, Nasca, Philippine and Scotia regions. In fact scientists have identified about 15 major tectonic plates. Earthquakes help in identifying the plates.The supercontinent theory suggests that during the Paleozoic Era, there was a huge continent named Pangeae, which included all the continents. The name Pangaea is derived from the Greek word pan meaning all and Gaea or Gaia i.e. the Greek name of the divine personification of the Earth. Pangaea, therefore, means all land. During the Triassic Period, the Pangeae started fragmenting thus resulting in the existing number of continents. This process is said to be continuing even now. The supercontinent theory suggests such occurrences have also happened in the past, thus the name supercontinent cycle. Canadian geologist John Tuzo Wilson also provided an insight into the hypothetical supercontinent cycle, who draw the fragmentation of continents, opening and closing of the ocean basin and subsequent reassembly of the continents. This theory suggests t