The method that has facilitated correlating the rock formation from different continents across oceans is the radiometric dating method.

Radiometric dating is a technique used to determine the age of rocks and minerals based on the decay of radioactive isotopes. It relies on the fact that certain isotopes are unstable and decay over time into more stable forms at a known rate. By measuring the ratio of parent isotopes to daughter isotopes in a sample, scientists can calculate how long it has been since the rock formed.

There are several types of radiometric dating methods, but two commonly used in geology are uranium-lead dating and potassium-argon dating. Uranium-lead dating is particularly useful for dating rocks that are billions of years old, while potassium-argon dating is used for rocks that are hundreds of thousands to millions of years old.

By applying radiometric dating to rocks from different continents, scientists can determine their ages and compare them to see if they formed at the same time. If rocks from two different continents have the same age, it suggests that they were once connected and have since drifted apart due to plate tectonics.

For example, the discovery of matching rock formations and fossils on the east coast of South America and the west coast of Africa provided crucial evidence for the theory of continental drift. These continents were once part of a supercontinent called Pangaea, which began to break apart around 200 million years ago. The radiometric dating of rocks on both continents helped confirm this hypothesis.

In summary, the radiometric dating method has been instrumental in correlating rock formations from different continents across oceans. By determining the ages of rocks using radioactive isotopes, scientists can establish connections between continents and provide evidence for plate tectonics and continental drift.