What is the theory of continental drift?

Continental drift was a theory that explained how continents shift position on Earth's surface. Set forth in 1912 by Alfred Wegener, a geophysicist and meteorologist, continental drift also explained why look-alike animal and plant fossils, and similar rock formations, are found on different continents. read more

Continental drift is the movement of the Earth's continents relative to each other, thus appearing to "drift" across the ocean bed. The speculation that continents might have 'drifted' was first put forward by Abraham Ortelius in 1596. read more

The theory of plate tectonics, formerly known as continental drift, is a working model that describes the movement of the continents and sea floor across the surface of the Earth. The theory explains many anomalous facts about Earth's geology, such as the present arrangement of landmasses. read more