Continental Drift and Continental Drift and ClimateClimateAndrew CampbellAndrew CampbellImportant things to think about:Important things to think about:• Location of continents through time• The opening and closing of different water ways• How mountain building effects atmospheric flow characteristicsWhat is Continental Drift?What is Continental Drift?• Continental drift is the movement of the many plates on the earths surface.• These plates move very slowly, about 2 to 8 centimeters per year.• This theory was developed by Alfred Wegner, a German geographer and meteorologist.Pangaea about 200 million years Pangaea about 200 million years ago, beginning of the Mesozoic era ago, beginning of the Mesozoic era beginning of the Mesozoic eraPlate Motion Through TimePlate Motion Through TimeCurrent Plate Tectonic settingCurrent Plate Tectonic settingContinental Drift and OceanContinental Drift and OceanCirculationCirculation• At certain times the equatorial ocean currents were able to circulate the earth• This allowed more warming because of a much higher rate of ocean re-circulation• Currents diverging from the equator to the north and south would be warmer• Circum-Equatorial SeawayContinental Drift and OceanContinental Drift and OceanCirculationCirculation• Equatorial flow at other times have been blocked• This results in higher latitude currents to form, circum-polar currents• This isolates the polar continents and causes polar temperatures to drop• Circum-Polar Seaway•Mountain Building and ClimateMountain Building and Climate• Mountains are formed when continents collide • Mountains have been formed and then eroded and weathered.• Locations of mountains effect atmospheric circulations. • Computer models indicate that a 2 km uplift can block mid-latitude air flow.What does this mean for climate?What does this mean for climate?• Having a super continent over the equator would most like result in a warmer climate.• More absorption of solar radiation by a larger land mass at equator means a net effect of higher global temperatures.• As continents move new seaways are developed and new ocean currents form changing how the ocean transports warm and cold water• Higher mountains change the atmospheric flow to change precipitation patterns and ratesWhat problems lie within Plate What problems lie within Plate Tectonics and Climate ?Tectonics and Climate ?• Over time the climate could change because of plate movement position and/or global changes for a specific location.• Finding data to collaborate this theory is difficult. Only the geologic rock record is there to look back some 200 million years.ReferencesReferences• http://www.weather.uwyo.edu/~geerts/cwx/notes/chap15/ancient.html• http://www.carleton.ca/~tpatters/teaching/intro/change/change2a.html• http://www.env.leeds.ac.uk/envi2150/lecture5/continental_drift.html• http://www-earth.usc.edu/~geol150/variability/tectonics.html• http://www.edugreen.teri.res.in/explore/climate/causes.htm• http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/IAI/Inst1999/GuestLectures/Grimm/IAItransp.doc.pdf• http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jmascaro/platetec.html• Levin, Harold L.,1996: The Earth Through Time. Sauders College Puldishing Harcourt Brace College Publishers Orlando, FL. 568