Explain how looking at the magnetism of certain rocks helps support the idea that the continents have moved and changed over time.

Question

anonymous · Answer

When the earth was made of magma (the crost was so hot that all the stuff was melted), all the ferroid elements were oriented following the poles, once the crost had solidify they cannot  change more they direction. So when we find rocks that doesnt follow the poles, we know that once they get solid they had mooved.

arindameducationusc · Answer

When rocks are formed, usually from lava flows, the magnetic orientation of them is set as they solidify. As these rocks are affected by continental drift and other factors such as earthquakes, the original magnetic orientation remains. 
Using the known strengths of the earth's magnetic field over time, it is possible to then tell where these rocks originally emerged.