Q. Which of the following are the evidences of the phenomenon of continental drift?
- The belt of ancient rocks from the Brazil coast matches with those from Western Africa.
- The gold deposits of Ghana are derived from the Brazil Plateau when the two continents lay side by side.
- The Gondwana system of sediments from India is known to have its counterparts in six different landmasses of the Southern Hemisphere.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) I and III only
(b) I and II only
(c) I, II and III
(d) II and III only
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Answer & Explanation:
✅Correct Answer: (c) I, II and III
Explanation:
The theory of continental drift, proposed by Alfred Wegener, suggests that the present continents were once part of a single large landmass and later drifted apart. Several geological and paleoclimatic evidences support this idea.
Statement I – Correct
Radiometric dating has shown that the belt of ancient rocks (about 2,000 million years old) along the eastern coast of Brazil closely matches the rock formations found in Western Africa. Such precise geological similarity across oceans strongly indicates that South America and Africa were once joined together before drifting apart.
Statement II – Correct
The gold deposits of Ghana, especially the rich placer deposits along its coast, do not have any suitable local source rocks. Geological studies trace their origin to the gold-bearing veins of the Brazil Plateau. This supports the idea that Ghana and Brazil were once adjacent parts of the same landmass, and the separation occurred due to continental drift.
Statement III – Correct
The Gondwana system of sediments found in India has striking similarities with sedimentary sequences in Africa, Madagascar, Falkland Islands, Antarctica, and Australia. These include common features such as glacial tillites at the base, coal layers, and fossil assemblages. Such widespread similarities across the Southern Hemisphere point to a shared geological and climatic history when these landmasses formed a single supercontinent—Gondwanaland.
Why Other Options Are Incorrect
- Options A, B, and D are incorrect because they exclude one or more statements that are valid geological evidences of continental drift.
- Since all three statements are correct, only Option C is the correct answer.