ROCK’S MAGNETIC FIELD

– BECAUSE THE MAGNETIC FIELD VARIES WITH LATITUDE, PALEOMAGNETIC MEASUREMENTS SHOW WHERE A ROCK FORMED RELATIVE TO THE MAGNETIC POLE

– FOR EACH CONTINENT, ROCKS OF DIFFERENT AGES GIVE AN APPARENT POLAR WANDER (APW) PATH SHOWING WHERE THE POLE APPEARED TO BE AS A FUNCTION OF TIME (IN FACT, THE CONTINENT MOVED, NOT THE POLE). THESE SHOW THAT CONTINENTS (IN THIS CASE EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICA) HAD BEEN TOGETHER AND MOVED LARGE DISTANCES

CORRECTING FOR THE MOTION – IN THIS CASE OPENING OF THE ATLANTIC- MAKES APW CURVES AGREE