![]() ![]() Antwerp, 4 July 1598), cartography, geography. “Plates tect2 en” By Map:USGSDescription:Scott Nash – This file was derived from: Tectonic plates.png (Public Domain, Available here.Ģ.( b. “Plate Tectonics.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation,, Available here. “Plate Tectonics.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 21 Mar. “What Is Plate Tectonics?” LiveScience, Purch, 19 Dec. Thus, this is the main difference between plate tectonics and continental drift. Plate tectonics describes the features and movement of Earth’s surface in the present and in the past whereas continental drift describes the drifting of Earth’s continents on the ocean bed. ![]() These are, in fact, two theories that describe closely related phenomena. In conclusion, plate tectonics and continental drift are important theories in geology. The presence of seven major continents and small islands is proof for plate tectonics theory while the occurrence of similar plant and animal species around the shores of different continents proves continental drift theory. DescriptionĪccording to plate tectonics theory, Earth’s lithosphere is composed of different plates and they began to move a long time ago, but according to continental drift theory, there are continents on Earth which have drifted on the ocean bed. Continental drift, on the other hand, is a theory in geology that describes the drifting of Earth’s continents on the ocean bed. Plate tectonics is the theory in geology that describes the features and movement of Earth’s surface in the present and in the past. Difference Between Plate Tectonics and Continental Drift Definition For example, we can observe similar plant and animal species around the shores of different continents and this suggests that these continents were once joined to each other. Later, this concept was independently and more completely developed by some other scientists.įigure 2: Continental Drift in an AnimationĪt present, the evidence for these two theories is extensive. Moreover, this concept was first developed by Abraham Ortelius in 1596. According to this theory, Earth’s continents have moved on the ocean bed over a long time period, appearing to be drifted across the ocean. What is Continental DriftĬontinental drift is a theory in geology that describes the drifting of Earth’s continents on the ocean bed. The relative motion of two plates ranges from 0 to 100 mm (annually). Moreover, we can observe some activities such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, mountain building, etc. For example, there are convergent, divergent, or transform boundaries. Moreover, there is a relative motion in the boundaries where the plates meet each other, which describes the type of boundary. There are seven major plates on Earth, as well as many minor plates. In other words, tectonic plates are the small pieces of large land areas of Earth. According to plate tectonics, this lithosphere is broken into tectonic plates. The lithosphere is the outermost solid sphere of Earth. This is a scientific model that is built on the theory of continental drift. This is a scientific theory that explains the large scale motion of seven large plates for about 3 billion years. – Comparison of Key Differences Key TermsĬontinental Drift, Plate Tectonics, Tectonic Plates What is Plate Tectonics ![]() What is the Difference Between Plate Tectonics and Continental Drift Therefore, these are two theories that describe closely related phenomena. The theory of plate tectonics is, in fact, developed based on the theory of continental drift. Plate tectonics and continental drift are important theories in geology. The main difference between plate tectonics and continental drift is that plate tectonics describes the features and movement of Earth’s surface in the present and in the past whereas continental drift describes the drifting of Earth’s continents on the ocean bed. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |