The Continental Drift Theory, first proposed by Frank B. Taylor in 1910, was one of the earliest scientific ideas suggesting that continents are not fixed but move over the Earth’s surface. Although often overshadowed by Alfred Wegener’s later and more refined theory (1912), Taylor’s contributions were foundational in shaping the concept of continental mobility, which ultimately led to the development of the modern Plate Tectonics Theory.
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Why Did He Propose This Theory?
Taylor wanted to explain why some huge mountain ranges, like the:
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Rockies and Andes (in North and South America),
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Himalayas, Alps, and Caucasus (in Europe and Asia)
were located in a particular pattern. Earlier theories (like contraction theory) couldn’t explain this. So Taylor suggested a new idea — that continents had moved, and this movement formed mountains.
Continental Drift Theory of Taylor
Taylor proposed that there were two major landmasses in the geological past:
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Laurasia – located near North Pole, Laurasia comprised what are now North America, Europe, and parts of Asia.
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Gondwanaland – located near South Pole, Gondwanaland included the present-day continents of South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia, and the Indian subcontinent.
He proposed that continents drifted due to tidal forces generated by the gravitational pull of the Moon on Earth.
He said there were two types of movements:
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Equator-ward movement (north-south direction)
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Westward movement (east-west direction)
What Happened Due to the Movement?
The landmasses split and moved apart, creating:
- Seas and bays, like Baffin Bay, Labrador Sea, Davis Strait
- Ocean basins, like the Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean
- Features in Antarctica, like the Ross Sea
- As the continents drifted, their edges crumpled, and mountains formed, just like how a carpet folds when pushed from one side.
- As the Landmasses started their journey towards equator, the landmass got divided into different parts due to tension force.
How Did Mountains Form?
When continents moved toward the equator, they collided and folded, creating:
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Himalayas
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Alps
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Caucasus
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When continents moved westward, it formed:
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Rockies
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Andes
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As continents moved and collided with oceanic crust or other landmasses, the edges of drifting continents crumpled, forming mountain ranges.
His theory was one of the first steps toward the modern idea of continental drift and plate tectonics.
Read: Geography Notes