Figure 1. Alfred Wegener
Who proposed continental drift in 1915?
Alfred Lothar Wegener . Wegener was a German meteorologist, geophysicist and polar researcher. In 1915 he published ‘The Origin of Continents and Oceans’, which outlined his theory of Continental Drift. Wegener was a member of four expeditions to Greenland.
Who was the first person to hypothesize idea of continental drift?
And the man who first proposed this theory was a brilliant interdisciplinary scientist, Alfred Wegener . Born on November 1, 1880, Alfred Lothar Wegener earned a Ph.
When was continental drift first proposed?
Wegener first presented his idea of continental drift in 1912 , but it was widely ridiculed and soon, mostly, forgotten. Wegener never lived to see his theory accepted—he died at the age of 50 while on an expedition in Greenland. Only decades later, in the 1960s, did the idea of continental drift resurface.
What are 5 pieces of evidence that support continental drift?
The evidence for continental drift included the fit of the continents; the distribution of ancient fossils, rocks, and mountain ranges; and the locations of ancient climatic zones .
Why was Pangea not accepted?
Despite having this geological and paleontological evidence, Wegener’s theory of continental drift was not accepted by the scientific community, because his explanation of the driving forces behind continental movement (which he said stemmed from the pulling force that created Earth’s equatorial bulge or the ...
What are 2 pieces of evidence for continental drift?
The evidence for continental drift included the fit of the continents; the distribution of ancient fossils, rocks, and mountain ranges; and the locations of ancient climatic zones .
What does Pangaea mean in Greek?
Pangea was surrounded by a global ocean called Panthalassa, and it was fully assembled by the Early Permian Epoch (some 299 million to 273 million years ago). ... Its name is derived from the Greek pangaia, meaning “all the Earth .”
What is continental drift theory explain?
Continental drift was a theory that explained how continents shift position on Earth’s surface . Set forth in 1912 by Alfred Wegener, a geophysicist and meteorologist, continental drift also explained why look-alike animal and plant fossils, and similar rock formations, are found on different continents.
What are the 4 types of plate tectonics?
- Divergent: extensional; the plates move apart. Spreading ridges, basin-range.
- Convergent: compressional; plates move toward each other. Includes: Subduction zones and mountain building.
- Transform: shearing; plates slide past each other. Strike-slip motion.
Why did Pangea break up?
The models show how tectonic plate motion and mantle convection forces worked together to break apart and move large land masses. For example, Pangaea’s large mass insulated the mantle underneath , causing mantle flows that triggered the initial breakup of the supercontinent.
Who is the father of continental drift?
Alfred Wegener : The Father of Continental Drift.
Why was Continental Drift rejected?
The main reason that Wegener’s hypothesis was not accepted was because he suggested no mechanism for moving the continents . He thought the force of Earth’s spin was sufficient to cause continents to move, but geologists knew that rocks are too strong for this to be true.
What is evidence of Pangea?
Glacial deposits, specifically till, of the same age and structure are found on many separate continents that would have been together in the continent of Pangaea. Fossil evidence for Pangaea includes the presence of similar and identical species on continents that are now great distances apart .
What was the response to Wegener’s hypothesis?
“That was always his response: Just assert it again, even more strongly .” By the time Wegener published the final version of his theory, in 1929, he was certain it would sweep other theories aside and pull together all the accumulating evidence into a unifying vision of the earth’s history.
Did dinosaurs live on Pangea?
Dinosaurs lived on all of the continents . At the beginning of the age of dinosaurs (during the Triassic Period, about 230 million years ago), the continents were arranged together as a single supercontinent called Pangea. During the 165 million years of dinosaur existence this supercontinent slowly broke apart.
