Based on paleoclimatic and paleomagnetic evidence, to
geologists, the words 'polar wandering' have two distinctly
different meanings. That's partially because 'pole' can refer to the
magnetic pole or to the geographic pole. So what, if anything, moved
in the past? The magnetic poles? The geographic poles? Both?
1. CONTINENTAL DRIFT
the poles stayed put but the continents shifted
2. POLAR WANDERING
the continents stayed put but the poles shifted
In any case, many geologists go no further than saying
that it appears there was some sort of shift in the pole
position. But since the magnetic poles and geographical poles are so
close together, maybe it happened and maybe it didn't.
Wegener's idea was that the continents did the
moving, drifing through the oceanic crust and pushing up mountain
ridges ahead of them as they moved.
NOTE: Paleomagnetism is the study of ancient magnetic