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In graph Frontier
Earth & Space SciencesGeologyEstablished

Continental drift

Continental drift is the movement of Earth's continents relative to each other over geologic time.

Continental driftPlate tectonicsPlanetary mantleCarbonate–silicate cycleMantle convectionConvectionEarthGeothermal gradientCarbon cycle

At a glance

Type
change
Disciplines 2
Earth & Space SciencesGeology
Mental models 0
—
Role in the graph
Leaf concept

Key signals

Cross-disciplinary reach
Disciplines
2
  • Earth & Space Sciences
  • Geology
Evidence & development

Dependencies

What this concept builds on and what it makes possible — derived from the atlas’s dependency, causal and structural relations, not from every related edge.

System context

Continental driftis part ofPlate tectonicsEstablished

Open Plate tectonics →

continental drift is part of plate tectonics.

Mechanism: Continental drift is one result of plate tectonics: the continents ride on moving plates of the Earth's shell and slowly change position over ages.

Why we say this:
  • This Dynamic Earth: The Story of Plate Tectonics (USGS) — demonstrates this case · verified · Continental drift is the observation that plate-tectonic theory explains: continents move because they ride on drifting plates. (Historical perspective; Developing the theory)

Structural role & consequence

Interpreted from the current atlas graph — what the connections mean, not just how many there are.

  • All 1 of its relationships stay within its own discipline — a field-specific concept in the current atlas.

    structural · Structural graph analysis — not a claim of importance, causation or history.

0%

cross-field
1 within-field, 0 cross-field

1 of 1 relations carry evidence · concept has a verified source

Strengths & constraints

Strengths

  • Well-evidenced in the atlas — a verified source and 100% of its relations carry claim-level evidence. atlas representation

Seen through each discipline

How this concept sits in each of its fields — derived from its real connections in the graph, not asserted.

Earth & Space Sciences

Through this lens it connects to Plate tectonics.

Continental drift through the Earth & Space Sciences lens →

Geology

Through this lens it connects to Plate tectonics.

Continental drift through the Geology lens →

Key dates

  1. 1912DiscoveryWegener first presents the hypothesis of continental drift. — This Dynamic Earth: The Story of Plate Tectonics (USGS)

Concepts that look related but are not yet connected here — candidates for a connection to reason about, not established links.

The scientific picture
  • Connects 1 other ideas across 2 disciplines.
  • Most of its connections are of the “Kind & structure” kind.

Derived from the graph’s real structure — observations, not a score.

Sources