Question

what is the name of the theory that explains why mountain ranges in africa and south america line up?
pangaea theory
landmass theory
continental drift theory
plate movement theory

Explanation:

• Pangaea theory: Pangaea was the super - continent. But the theory mainly focuses on the existence of the single large landmass, not directly on why mountain ranges in Africa and South America line up.
• Landmass theory: This is a very general and non - specific term. There is no well - known "landmass theory" in geology that specifically explains this phenomenon.
• Continental drift theory: This theory proposed by Alfred Wegener explains that continents were once joined together and have since drifted apart. The alignment of mountain ranges in Africa and South America (such as the Appalachian Mountains in North America and the Caledonian Mountains in Europe and Greenland) is one of the pieces of evidence for continental drift. For example, the Cape Fold Belt in South Africa and the Sierra de la Ventana in Argentina show similarities in rock types and geological structures, which can be explained by the fact that these regions were once adjacent when the continents were joined.
• Plate movement theory: While plate tectonics (which includes plate movement) is a more comprehensive theory that builds on continental drift, the specific theory that was first proposed to explain such continental - scale similarities (including mountain range alignments) is continental drift. Plate movement theory (plate tectonics) is a more modern and detailed theory that includes aspects like seafloor spreading, but the initial theory for the alignment of these mountain ranges is continental drift.

Answer:

continental drift theory