Continental drift

Continental drift

The hypothesis, proposed by Alfred Wegener, that today's continents broke off from a single supercontinent and then ploughed through the ocean floors into their present positions. This explanation of the shapes and locations of Earth's current continents evolved into the theory of plate tectonics.

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Part of Speech: noun
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Industry/Domain: Earth science
Category: Geology
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Related terms

continental drift

Archaeology; Evolution

The process by which the continents move as part of large plates floating on Earth's mantle. See plate tectonics.

continental drift

Biology; Marine biology

Horizontal movement of continents located in plates moving via sea-floor spreading.

continental drift

Geography; Geography

The slow movement of the Earth's continents toward or away from each other. Continents move a few inches every year.

continental drift

Natural environment; Volcano

The theory that horizontal movement of the earth's surface causes slow, relative movements of the continents toward or away from one another.

continental drift

Earth science; Geology

A hypothesis proposed by Alfred Wegener suggesting that the continents are not stationary, but have 'drifted' through time. Plate tectonics is the name for the theory that ...