Explain the basic concept of continental drift theory.

Explanation

Alfred Wegener, a German meteorologist, put forth a comprehensive argument in the form of "the continental drift theory" in 1912. This was regarding the distribution of the oceans and the continents. According to Wegener, all the continents formed a single continental mass and mega ocean surrounded the same. He called the super continent as PANGAEA, meaning all earth. He named mega ocean as PANTHALASSA, meaning all water. According to him, around 200 million years ago, the super continent, Pangaea, began to split. Pangaea first broke into two large continental masses as Laurasia and Gondwanaland forming the northern and southern components respectively. Subsequently, Laurasia and Gondwanaland continued to break into various smaller continents that exist today. A variety of evidence was offered in support of the continental drift.