How does the polar wander curve for Eurasia confirm Wegener's hypothesis that the Carboniferous (300 m.y.) coal beds were originally deposited when that land mass was near the equator?
A) This means that Eurasia used to sit in the middle of the north Pacific Ocean 300 m.y. ago where the climate is warmer.
B) To have that pole position, the 300 m.y. coal beds must have had a steep magnetic inclination.
C) 300 m.y. ago, the equator and magnetic poles had switched positions, so Eurasia was tropical then.
D) To restore the 300 m.y. paleopole to today's north magnetic pole pushes Eurasia about 40 degrees of latitude farther south than it is today.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The polar wander curve for Eurasia shows that to align the 300 million years ago paleopole with today's north magnetic pole, Eurasia would have to be moved approximately 40 degrees of latitude southward. This supports Wegener's hypothesis by indicating that the region where the Carboniferous coal beds were deposited was much closer to the equator at that time, consistent with the tropical conditions required for coal formation.

How Does the Polar Wander Curve for Eurasia Confirm Wegener's