Mountain Chains and Geological Matching
When continents are reconstructed in their ancient positions, mountain chains and geological features line up perfectly across what are now ocean basins. The Caledonian mountain belt is a prime example, stretching across Scotland, Ireland, Scandinavia, and eastern North America.
These mountain belts formed during ancient orogenies mountain−buildingevents like the Acadian orogeny, when landmasses collided. Today, these matching geological structures are found on separate continents, showing they were once continuous.
Areas called cratons (ancient stable rock formations) and younger mountain belts also match across continents when fitted together, creating a coherent geological history that spans hundreds of millions of years.
Amazing Fact: Mountain ranges that are now thousands of miles apart were once part of the same continuous chain!