which of the following pieces of evidence supports the plate tectonic theory?
The assertions that plate tectonics can account for a number of phenomena are supported by a wide range of data.
(1) the pattern of occurrence of fossils throughout the various continents
(2) the incidence of seismic activity and volcanic eruptions
(3) Features on both the continents and the ocean bottom, such as mountains, volcanoes, fractures, and trenches.
There are relics from ancient times that may be found in modern continents. Fossils, glaciers, and coasts that are complimentary all provide evidence that helps show how the tectonic plates originally fitted together.
The presence of fossils can inform us when and where certain plants and animals used to be. Some life “hitchhiked” on divergent plates, got isolated, and eventually developed into new species as a result of their new environments. Other forms of life spread to new regions as a result of the reconnecting of continents, the narrowing of seas, or the formation of chains of volcanic islands. The discovery of fossils that were identical or very similar at locations that were quite far apart was one of the first pieces of evidence that helped scientists reconstruct the movement of plates in the past. The scattering of fossils in this manner gave rise to the hypothesis that the southern continents were once connected together in a supercontinent known as Gondwana.
Formations of the same kind seen on several continents provide evidence of previous land links. The Andes in South America are continued into Antarctica in the form of mountains. Glacial relics in Africa and India would be brought back into proper alignment if the continents in the Southern Hemisphere were rebuilt into a single landmass.
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The plates were formerly able to fit together, as shown by evidence from fossils, glaciers, and coasts that are complimentary to one another. The presence of fossils can inform us when and where certain plants and animals used to be. Some of the life that “rode” on the divergent plates eventually got isolated, which led to the evolution of new species.
The existence of deep ocean trenches, deep continental shelves, and deep continental slopes are all pieces of evidence that lend credence to the hypothesis of plate tectonics. These three pieces of data provide strong support for the theory.
There is a wide range of evidence that lends credence to the hypothesis that plate tectonics is responsible for (1) the dispersion of fossils across different continents, (2) the occurrence of earthquakes, and (3) the features of the continental and ocean floor, such as mountains, volcanoes, faults, and trenches.
To begin, there is the fact that the surface of the Earth is made up of different components that are referred to as plates, and these plates float above the mantle of the planet.
The second reason for earthquakes is that they are caused by the collision of different tectonic plates.
Thirdly, there is the fact that the magnetic field of the Earth is generated inside the Earth and travels through the core rather than being generated outside the core.
There are three pieces of evidence that lend credence to the hypothesis of plate tectonics, which are as follows: 1. The manner in which oceanic and continental crust are dispersed throughout the surface of the earth 2. The pattern of earthquake occurrences throughout the surface of the Earth 3. The geographic distribution of volcanoes over the surface of the earth
The magnetic stripes that may be seen on the ocean bottom are the most compelling piece of evidence that supports the theory of plate tectonics.
There is also evidence of plate tectonics in the form of earthquakes and volcanic activity.
Alfred Wegener is credited with the development of the theory of plate tectonics. His evidences were mountain ranges and fossils found in the ground. Alfred Wegener is credited with coming up with the concept of continental drift and supporting it in his book titled “The Origin of Continents and Oceans.” At first, geologists did not subscribe to his line of thinking.
Earthquakes are the result of tectonic activity, which occurs when plates move apart, glide by one other, or crash with each other. Even though strains may build up inside a plate, there is still the potential for seismic activity to occur within the plate itself. Plate borders are the sites of the vast bulk of the planet’s seismic activity.
Sea Floor Magnetism. Strong support for the tectonic hypothesis may be found in the form of striped patterns of magnetic material in the seabed. The stripes go back and forth between having magnetic material that is aligned in the direction of magnetic north and having magnetic material that is aligned in the opposite direction.
Fossil Evidence
The fossil record is an example of the sort of evidence that provided substantial support for the theory of continental drift. On the beaches of separate continents, fossils of plants and animals that belonged to the same family and were found in rocks of the same age have been discovered. This provides evidence that the continents were previously connected together.
Volcanoes, which are formed when molten rock rises to the surface and forms an upwelling known as a “hot spot,” spew forth lava (magma that has reached the surface of the Earth). … The Hawaiian Islands are not so much a chain of islands as they are a literal path of volcanic explosions that have taken place throughout time. Volcanism that occurs in hot spots can take place right in the center of tectonic plates.
Terms included in this group (35) What are the most probable obstacles that would stand in the way of the inside-out model being recognized as a valid scientific theory? The finding that the vast majority of volcanic eruptions on Earth do not produce any water vapor was a significant discovery.
Following the conclusion of World War II, further data was discovered that lends credence to the idea of plate tectonics. In the 1960s, a vast array of seismometers were built throughout the globe as part of a monitoring system for nuclear testing. These equipment uncovered a surprising geological occurrence.
In the 1960s, the evidence that contributed to the formation of the plate tectonic theory came mostly from fresh data collected from the sea bottom. This data included the topography of the sea floor as well as the magnetism of rocks.
The discovery that rocks on the seafloor record ancient reversals of the Earth’s magnetic field was one of the most important pieces of evidence in support of the plate tectonic theory. As rocks are formed in areas where plates are moving away from one another, they record the current direction of the Earth’s magnetic field, which flip-flops…
When one tectonic plate travels beneath another, this process may result in the formation of a volcano on land. In most cases, a thinner and heavier oceanic plate will subduct or slide beneath a heavier and thicker continental plate…. When there is sufficient magma buildup in the magma chamber, it will eventually push its way up to the surface and explode, which will often cause volcanic eruptions.
Heat and gravitational pull are essential components of the process.
The heat generated by the interior of the Earth is the source of energy for plate tectonics, while the “ridge push” and “slab pull” gravitational forces are responsible for the movement of the plates. Once upon a time, scientists believed that plate movements were caused by mantle convection.
What kind of predictions does the theory of plate tectonics make with regard to the distribution of earthquakes and volcanoes? They need to be dispersed uniformly throughout the surface of the globe. It makes sense for them to be found largely near the plate borders.
Which of the following observations about landforms provides the most evidence that plate tectonics is a valid theory? Craters believed to have been caused by impacts have been discovered both on land and on the ocean bottom. When lava cools at the surface of the Earth, it creates several different types of igneous rocks. Every continent has an unpredictable number and assortment of volcanoes.
Plate movement is thought to be caused by the convection of magma within the Earth’s interior. Convection is defined as the transfer of heat that occurs as a result of the movement of a heated fluid. This theory has not been conclusively proven, but the majority of geologists and geophysicists agree with it. It is believed that the source of heat is the decomposition of radioactive materials.
Ocean topography was another piece of data that supported the notion of plate tectonics… Later on, geoscientists were able to determine that the mountainous features were in fact the mid-ocean ridges (MORs), which are the locations where new plates are created, and that the deep ocean trenches were in fact the subduction zones, which are the locations where plates descend into the subsurface.
This gave more support for the theory of plate tectonics. When scientists looked at the sea bottom, they saw that the Earth’s magnetic field was striped, which indicated that there were reversals in the polarity of the Earth’s magnetic field. This provided more proof. On each side of the mid-ocean ridge, there were strips of polarity reversal that were mirror copies of one another.
Their theory of continental drift was supported by a number of different lines of evidence, including the fit of the continents’ paleoclimate indicators, truncated geologic structures, and fossils.
At the beginning of the 20th century, scientists started gathering data to support the hypothesis that the continents may shift position on the surface of the earth. The fit of the continents, the distribution of ancient fossils, rocks, and mountain ranges, and the positions of ancient climate zones were all pieces of evidence that supported the theory that continental drift occurred.
A geological “hot spot” that occurred in the center of the Pacific Plate is responsible for the formation of the Hawaiian Islands. Even while the hot area itself is being addressed, the plate continues to rotate. Therefore, the string of islands that constitute the Hawaiian Island chain were produced when the plate traveled over the hot point in the course of its movement.
How can the theory of plate tectonics and hot spots account for the fact that different islands in the Hawaiian chain have different ages?… The theory of plate tectonics states that as a plate travels over a hot area, magma will often reach the surface of the plate, resulting in the formation of a volcanic structure.
The movement of the tectonic plates results in the formation of three distinct types of tectonic boundaries: convergent boundaries, which are formed when plates move into one another; divergent boundaries, which are formed when plates move apart from one another; and transform boundaries, which are formed when plates move sideways in relation to one another.
These results raise the question of whether or not the inside-out model can be raised to the status of a scientific theory. If not, then why not? No, due to the fact that the data from a single volcano are insufficient to demonstrate that ocean water was created by volcanoes… Plate tectonics is a scientific hypothesis that was established thanks to contributions from a wide variety of experts working in a variety of fields.
The atmosphere gives out carbon dioxide, which is absorbed by the oceans in vast amounts. Ocean currents are what generate surface winds, which in turn allow for heat exchanges in the atmosphere. The water vapor in the atmosphere is absorbed by the oceans, which then release oxygen and make the air more breathable. The atmosphere gives out carbon dioxide, which is absorbed by the oceans in vast amounts.
It also helps to support the idea of plate tectonics since it explains how the continents move, which is something that plate tectonics is supposed to explain. In addition, a GPS satellite in orbit may be used to determine the annual distance traveled by the continents as well as the rate at which they travel.
In what ways can data from earthquakes and volcanic eruptions provide credence to the hypothesis of plate tectonics? Because earthquake and volcanic belts identify the position of plate boundaries, the theory of plate tectonics contributes to our understanding of this pattern by helping to explain it.
Alfred Wegener in Greenland. The hypothesis that the Earth’s landmasses are in a state of continual motion is known as plate tectonics. Wegener made the observation that South America and Africa seemed as if they would be able to fit together astonishingly well; if the Atlantic Ocean were removed, these two gigantic landforms would lock perfectly together.
Sonor demonstrated the mid-Atlantic ridge as the boundary between the several tectonic plates, such as the North Atlantic plate and the European plate. This lends credence to Wegener’s idea that continental drift occurred through time.
-Fossils of Glossopteris have been discovered in both Antarctica and Australia
deposits of coal in North America Rock formations that are identical to those found in Brazil and Africa
On each side of an oceanic ridge, the striped patterns of high- and low-intensity magnetism look exactly the same, but in reversed order.
-a mountain range in the middle of the ocean
Rift in East Africa – Rise in the East Pacific – Ridge in the Middle of the Atlantic
fragments of the ocean floor embedded inside a massive mountain range
the fault in the San Andreas region
-San Francisco and Los Angeles will come up beside one another.
-Africa and Europe will come head to head.
Approximately fifty million years ago, the Pacific plate began moving in a counterclockwise manner.
Plate material is created at the borders of divergent plates, whereas it is consumed at the boundaries of converging plates.
The trailing plate is dragged along by the plate that is now sinking into the asthenosphere.