Asked by mom

Geologists discovered that the largest coal deposits were formed around 300 million years ago. How did this observation support the theory of plate tectonics?
Responses

Around that time, it is thought that those regions were located along the ridge of a long mountain chain.
Around that time, it is thought that those regions were located along the ridge of a long mountain chain. - no response given

Around that time, those regions were located near the south pole where coal would likely have formed.
Around that time, those regions were located near the south pole where coal would likely have formed. - no response given

Around that time, those regions were located in tropical climates that were partially submerged on the coasts.
Around that time, those regions were located in tropical climates that were partially submerged on the coasts. - no response given

Around that time, those regions were located on arid plateaus in temperate regions.

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
Around that time, those regions were located in tropical climates that were partially submerged on the coasts.

Why: Coal forms from thick accumulations of plant material in warm, wet, waterlogged (often coastal swamp) environments. Finding very old coal in widely separated present-day continents (including ones now near the poles) implies those landmasses were once in equatorial/tropical positions and often contiguous — evidence that continents have moved (plate tectonics/continental drift).