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Q25 (IAS/2025) Geography › World Physical Geography › Plate tectonics theory Answer Verified

Which of the following are the evidences of the phenomenon of continental drift? I. The belt of ancient rocks from Brazil coast matches with those from Western Africa. II. The gold deposits of Ghana are derived from the Brazil plateau when the two continents lay side by side. III. The Gondwana system of sediments from India is known to have its counterparts in six different landmasses of the Southern Hemisphere. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: C
Explanation

All three statements are valid evidences of continental drift theory.

The belt of ancient rocks of 2,000 million years from Brazil coast matches with those from western Africa[1], supporting Statement I. The gold bearing veins are in Brazil and it is obvious that the gold deposits of the Ghana are derived from the Brazil plateau when the two continents lay side by side[2], confirming Statement II. The Gondawana system of sediments from India is known to have its counterparts in six different landmasses of the Southern Hemisphere, with counterparts of this succession found in Africa, Falkland [3]Island, Madagascar, Antarctica and Australia[3], validating Statement III.

These evidences collectively support the Continental Drift Theory proposed by Alfred Wegener, demonstrating that continents were once joined together and subsequently drifted apart. The matching geological features, rock formations, and sedimentary systems across continents now separated by vast oceans provide compelling proof of their former connection.

Sources
  1. [1] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Interior of the Earth > Rocks of Same Age Across the Oceans > p. 28
  2. [2] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Interior of the Earth > Placer Deposits > p. 28
  3. [3] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Interior of the Earth > Tillite > p. 28
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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. Which of the following are the evidences of the phenomenon of continental drift? I. The belt of ancient rocks from Brazil coast matches …
At a glance
Origin: From standard books Fairness: High fairness Books / CA: 10/10 · 0/10

This is a textbook 'sitter' lifted verbatim from NCERT Class XI, Chapter 3. The examiner simply converted the three sub-headings under 'Evidence in Support of the Continental Drift' into three statements. If you skipped the specific examples (Ghana gold, Brazil rocks) while reading the theory, you lost free marks.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Do ancient rock belts along the coast of Brazil match corresponding rock belts in western Africa as evidence of continental drift?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Interior of the Earth > Rocks of Same Age Across the Oceans > p. 28
Presence: 5/5
“the vast ocean. The belt of ancient rocks of 2,000 million years from Brazil coast matches with those from western Africa. The earliest marine deposits along the coastline of South America and Africa are of the Jurassic age. This suggests that the ocean did not exist prior to that time.”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly reports a belt of ancient rocks ~2,000 million years from Brazil's coast that matches western Africa.
  • Matches in age and coastal location directly support the idea that these continental margins were once joined.
  • Provides a temporally specific correspondence (2,000 million years) strengthening the correlation.
Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 7: Tectonics > Rocks of Same Age Across the Oceans > p. 97
Presence: 5/5
“• The belt of ancient rocks of 2 billion years from Brazil's coast matches with those from western Africa.• Criticism: Rocks of the same age and similar characteristics are found in other parts of the world too.”
Why this source?
  • Restates the same correspondence: a 2 billion year old rock belt on Brazil's coast matches western Africa.
  • Independent mention reinforces the reliability of the Brazil–West Africa rock correlation as evidence for past continental adjacency.
Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 7: Tectonics > Apparent Affinity of Physical Features > p. 96
Presence: 3/5
“• The bulge of Brazil (South America) seems to fit into the Gulf of Guinea (Africa).• Greenland seems to fit in well with the Ellesmere and Baffin islands of Canada.• The west coast of India, Madagascar and Africa seem to have been joined.• North and South America on one side and Africa and Europe on the other fit along the mid-Atlantic ridge.• The very old fold mountain chains, the Caledonian and the Hercynian mountains of Europe and the Appalachians of the USA seem to be one continuous series. The Caledonians of Europe & The Appalachians of the USA”
Why this source?
  • Notes the bulge of Brazil fitting into the Gulf of Guinea — a morphological jigsaw fit supporting former contiguity.
  • Offers complementary geometric evidence that corroborates the rock-belt match by implying past coastal alignment.
Statement 2
Is there geological evidence that the gold deposits of Ghana originated from the Brazilian plateau when Africa and South America were joined, supporting continental drift?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 7: Tectonics > Placer Deposits > p. 98
Presence: 5/5
“• Rich placer deposits of gold are found on the Ghana coast (West Africa) but the source (gold-bearing veins) are in Brazil, and it is obvious that the gold deposits of Ghana are derived from the Brazil plateau when the two continents lay side by side.”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly asserts rich placer gold on Ghana coast are derived from the Brazilian plateau when the continents lay side-by-side
  • Emphasizes absence of local source rock in Ghana, linking provenance to Brazil
FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Interior of the Earth > Placer Deposits > p. 28
Presence: 5/5
“The occurrence of rich placer deposits of gold in the Ghana coast and the absolute absence of source rock in the region is an amazing fact. The gold bearing veins are in Brazil and it is obvious that the gold deposits of the Ghana are derived from the Brazil plateau when the two continents lay side by side.”
Why this source?
  • Repeats the direct claim that Ghana's placer gold originates from Brazilian gold-bearing veins when continents were joined
  • Highlights the surprising lack of local source rock, reinforcing the cross-continental provenance assertion
Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 7: Tectonics > 7.2. Continental Drift Theory > p. 95
Presence: 4/5
“• A German geophysicist named Alfred Wegener suggested Continental Drift Theory (CDT) in 1912. According to CDT, there existed one big landmass called Pangaea which was covered by one big ocean called Panthalassa. A sea called Tethys divided the Pangaea into two huge landmasses: Laurentia (Laurasia) to the north and Gondwanaland to the south of Tethys. Drift started around 200 million years ago (Mesozoic Era Triassic Period Late Triassic Epoch), and the continents began to break up and drift away from one another.”
Why this source?
  • Describes the existence of Pangaea/Gondwanaland and the breakup (continental drift) that would have once placed Africa and South America together
  • Provides the plate-tectonic framework that makes cross-continental transfer of mineral material plausible
Statement 3
Does the Gondwana sedimentary system in India have matching counterparts in six different Southern Hemisphere landmasses, supporting continental drift?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Interior of the Earth > Tillite > p. 28
Presence: 5/5
“It is the sedimentary rock formed out of deposits of glaciers. The Gondawana system of sediments from India is known to have its counterparts in six different landmasses of the Southern Hemisphere. At the base, the system has thick tillite indicating extensive and prolonged glaciation. Counterparts of this succession are found in Africa, Falkland Island, Madagascar, Antarctica and Australia. Overall resemblance of the Gondawana-type sediments clearly demonstrates that these landmasses had remarkably similar histories. The glacial tillite provides unambiguous evidence of palaeoclimates and also of drifting of continents.”
Why this source?
  • Directly asserts Gondwana sediments from India have counterparts in six Southern Hemisphere landmasses.
  • Enumerates matching regions (Africa, Falkland Islands, Madagascar, Antarctica, Australia) alongside India.
  • Identifies basal tillite from extensive glaciation and links glacial tillite to past climates and continental movement.
Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 7: Tectonics > Tillite deposits > p. 97
Presence: 5/5
“• Tillite deposits are sedimentary rocks formed out of deposits of glaciers. The Gondwana system of tillite sediments is found in India, Africa, Falkland Island, Madagascar, Antarctica and Australia (all were previously part of Gondwana). Overall resemblance demonstrates that these landmasses had remarkably similar histories.”
Why this source?
  • Explains tillite as glacially derived sedimentary rock and lists the same set of Gondwana locations.
  • States overall resemblance of tillite deposits across these landmasses, implying shared geological history.
Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 8: Convergent Boundary > Formation of The Himalayans and The Tibetan Plateau > p. 121
Presence: 4/5
“• During the Permian Period (250 million years ago), there was a supercontinent known as Pangaea. Its northern part consisted of present-day North America and Eurasia (Europe and Asia) which is called Laurasia or Angaraland or Laurentia. The southern part of Pangaea consisted of present-day South America, Africa, South India, Australia and Antarctica. This landmass was called Gondwanaland.• In between Laurasia and Gondwanaland, there was a long, narrow and shallow sea known as the Tethys Sea (all this was explained earlier in the concept of Continental Drift Theory). It separated India from the Eurasian plate till about 225 million years ago.• India was a large island situated off the Australian coast.”
Why this source?
  • Describes Gondwanaland as the southern part of Pangaea including South India, Africa, Australia and Antarctica.
  • Provides palaeogeographic context (position of India, neighbouring Gondwana components) that explains matching sedimentary records.
Pattern takeaway: UPSC Physical Geography is strictly NCERT-bound for static concepts. The pattern shows a preference for 'Illustrative Evidence'—they don't ask 'What is Drift?', they ask 'What proves Drift?'. Always tabulate the evidences: Biological, Geological, and Climatological.
How you should have studied
  1. [THE VERDICT]: Sitter. Direct copy-paste from NCERT Class XI Fundamentals of Physical Geography, Chapter 3, Page 28.
  2. [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Alfred Wegener's Continental Drift Theory (1912) and the specific geological proofs supporting it.
  3. [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize the Fossil siblings: Mesosaurus (small reptile, S. Africa & Brazil), Glossopteris (fern, all 6 Gondwana lands), Lystrosaurus & Cynognathus. Know 'Bullard's Fit' (1964 computer fit of Atlantic). Know the 'Polar Wandering' curves.
  4. [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: When NCERT provides a specific geographic example to prove a theory (e.g., 'Gold in Ghana comes from Brazil'), that example is not trivia; it is a potential Prelims statement. Do not generalize; memorize the specific locations mentioned.
Concept hooks from this question
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Correlation of ancient rock belts across continents
💡 The insight

Matching ages and characteristics of rock belts on separated continental margins indicate prior physical connection.

High-yield for questions on continental drift: it is a primary line of evidence demonstrating past continental adjacency and helps link geology with paleogeography and fossil distribution. Mastery enables answering source-based and explanation questions on why continents were once joined.

📚 Reading List :
  • FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Interior of the Earth > Rocks of Same Age Across the Oceans > p. 28
  • Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 7: Tectonics > Rocks of Same Age Across the Oceans > p. 97
🔗 Anchor: "Do ancient rock belts along the coast of Brazil match corresponding rock belts i..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Coastline 'jigsaw' fit as morphological evidence
💡 The insight

Complementary geometric fit between continental coasts (e.g., Brazil into Gulf of Guinea) supports hypotheses of former junctions.

Frequently tested as a straightforward, visual piece of evidence for continental drift; connects to mapping, palaeogeographic reconstruction and corroborates geological correlations.

📚 Reading List :
  • Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 7: Tectonics > Apparent Affinity of Physical Features > p. 96
  • FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Interior of the Earth > CONTINENTAL DRIFT > p. 27
🔗 Anchor: "Do ancient rock belts along the coast of Brazil match corresponding rock belts i..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Paleomagnetism and seafloor spreading as mechanistic context
💡 The insight

Paleomagnetic patterns and mid-ocean ridge rock-age symmetry provide the mechanism that explains how continents separated after matching rock belts were formed.

Essential to elevate answers from 'what' to 'how': links Wegener's observations to plate tectonics, explains sea-floor creation and polar wandering — crucial for analytical UPSC questions on earth dynamics.

📚 Reading List :
  • Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 7: Tectonics > Paleomagnetism > p. 107
  • Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 7: Tectonics > Palaeomagnetism > p. 99
  • Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 7: Tectonics > Nature of Oceanic Rocks Around Mid-Ocean Ridges > p. 101
🔗 Anchor: "Do ancient rock belts along the coast of Brazil match corresponding rock belts i..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Placer deposits and provenance
💡 The insight

Placer gold on the Ghana coast with no local source implies provenance must be traced to distant bedrock sources.

High-yield for UPSC geography: explains how alluvial/placer mineral deposits relate to source rocks and transport processes; links physical processes to resource distribution questions. Useful for questions on mineral exploration, resource mapping and interpreting geographic causes.

📚 Reading List :
  • Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 7: Tectonics > Placer Deposits > p. 98
  • FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Interior of the Earth > Placer Deposits > p. 28
🔗 Anchor: "Is there geological evidence that the gold deposits of Ghana originated from the..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Continental drift and Gondwanaland
💡 The insight

The concept of Gondwanaland and continental breakup explains how Africa and South America were once contiguous, enabling shared geological features and material transfer.

Core tectonics concept frequently tested: underpins questions on paleogeography, mineral correlations across continents, and historical geology. Enables answering why similar rock types or mineral deposits occur on now-separated continents.

📚 Reading List :
  • Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 7: Tectonics > 7.2. Continental Drift Theory > p. 95
  • FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Interior of the Earth > CONTINENTAL DRIFT > p. 27
🔗 Anchor: "Is there geological evidence that the gold deposits of Ghana originated from the..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Apparent fit and palaeogeographic reconstruction
💡 The insight

Geometric fit (e.g., Brazil bulge into Gulf of Guinea) supports reconstructions that connect continental shapes and helps trace cross-continental geological links.

Valuable for map-based and conceptual questions: aids reasoning about continent matching, resource continuity and reconstructing past land configurations. Connects to plate margins, palaeoclimates and resource distribution problems.

📚 Reading List :
  • Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 7: Tectonics > Apparent Affinity of Physical Features > p. 96
🔗 Anchor: "Is there geological evidence that the gold deposits of Ghana originated from the..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S3
👉 Tillite as marker of palaeoclimate & continental drift
💡 The insight

Tillite records past glaciation; matching tillites across distant landmasses support past proximity of those landmasses.

High-yield for UPSC geography: explains a principal line of argument for continental drift and links palaeoclimate to plate reconstructions. Connects to questions on palaeogeography, fossil distribution and ancient climates, enabling answers that combine climatic and tectonic reasoning.

📚 Reading List :
  • FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Interior of the Earth > Tillite > p. 28
  • Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 7: Tectonics > Tillite deposits > p. 97
🔗 Anchor: "Does the Gondwana sedimentary system in India have matching counterparts in six ..."
🌑 The Hidden Trap

The 'Mesosaurus' fossil evidence. It is a small reptile adapted to shallow brackish water, found ONLY in the Southern Cape province of South Africa and the Iraver formations of Brazil. This specific location pair is the next logical question from the same NCERT page.

⚡ Elimination Cheat Code

Use the 'Geological Specificity' heuristic. If a statement connects two specific continental margins (Brazil & West Africa) with a specific resource (Gold/Ancient Rocks) to prove Drift, it is 99% likely to be Correct. It is extremely hard for an examiner to fabricate a fake geological correlation that sounds scientifically plausible.

🔗 Mains Connection

Mains GS-1 (Resource Distribution): This geological history explains why India has Gondwana coal but lacks high-grade anthracite, or why Brazil and West Africa share diamond/gold reserves. It dictates modern Economic Geography and trade dependencies (e.g., India's dependence on imported coking coal).

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