Question

How are plate tectonics and continental drift similar?

Answer 1

Hint: The hypothesis of continental drift is most connected with the german meteorologist and geographer Alfred Wegener. He saw while examining the map of the world that continents of Africa and South America would fit impeccably. He hereafter started his examination and proposed the theory of continental drift.

Complete answer: Wegener while examining the world map was convinced that all the continents of the Earth belonged to one enormous single landmass called Pangea. According to him, this supercontinent was split into various pieces by an unknown force. He had enough evidence from fossil fuels, glaciers and geological strata to prove his standpoint. However, his hypothesis negated the overall speculations of biological advancements, timetable and geographical segment, the geosyncline mountain, and sedimentary layer arrangement. Researchers did not acknowledge Wegener's hypothesis of continental drift. One of the components lacking in the hypothesis was the instrument for how it functions.

Plate tectonics is the Wegener theory of continental drift revised. The force expected to move the landmasses is proposed to be convection flows in the mantle. Geologists have a vastly improved understanding of the structure of the earth, regarding the mantle and the crust of the earth than was accessible in Wegener's time. The unique sites of tectonic activity are giant rift valleys and seafloor spreading zones. The most accepted theory regarding the shift of the continents is the plate tectonics.

Note: Subduction is only one part of plate tectonics while seafloor spreading is another. Seafloor creates a new crust whereas subduction destroys the old one. Seafloor spreading isolates the plates, unlike subduction which happens where tectonic plates collide with each other.