Alfred Wegener proposed the theory of continental drift – the idea that Earth’s continents move . Despite publishing a large body of compelling fossil and rock evidence for his theory between 1912 and 1929, it was rejected by most other scientists.
Why is Alfred Wegener important?
Alfred Lothar Wegener: Moving continents. Perhaps Alfred Wegener’s greatest contribution to the scientific world was his ability to weave seemingly dissimilar , unrelated facts into a theory, which was remarkably visionary for the time. ... Alfred Lothar Wegener (1880-1930), the originator of the theory of continental drift ...
Who is Alfred Wegener and why is he important to science?
Wegener’s main interest was meteorology , and he wanted to join the Denmark-Greenland expedition scheduled for mid-1912. He presented his Continental Drift hypothesis on 6 January 1912. He analyzed both sides of the Atlantic Ocean for rock type, geological structures and fossils.
Where did Alfred Wegener make his discoveries?
Wegener experimented with kites and balloons, and with his brother Kurt set a world record in an international balloon contest, flying 52 hours straight. That was in 1906, the year he made his first expedition to Greenland . He went as the official meteorologist on a two-year Danish expedition.
Who is Alfred Wegener explain his theory?
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.
Why was Wegener’s theory rejected first?
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.
How did Alfred Wegener impact the world?
What were Alfred Wegener’s contributions? Wegener noticed the similarity in the coastlines of eastern South America and western Africa and speculated that those lands had once formed a supercontinent, Pangaea , which had split and slowly moved many miles apart over geologic time.
What caught Wegener’s attention about the Earth?
Two words catch his attention: ‘ Africa’ and ‘Brazil’. He finds it to be a fascinating compendium on fossils showing identical species from either side of the ocean. The prevailing theory was that the continents were once connected by land bridges that have sunk, thus sharing similar flora and fauna.
What did Pangaea mean?
Pangea, also spelled Pangaea, in early geologic time, a supercontinent that incorporated almost all the landmasses on Earth. ... Its name is derived from the Greek pangaia, meaning “ all the Earth .”
How do we know Pangea existed?
The rock formations of eastern North America, Western Europe, and northwestern Africa were later found to have a common origin, and they overlapped in time with the presence of Gondwanaland. Together, these discoveries supported the existence of Pangea. ... Modern geology has shown that Pangea did actually exist .
What other things did Alfred Wegener make towards science?
Alfred Wegener proposed the theory of continental drift – the idea that Earth’s continents move . Despite publishing a large body of compelling fossil and rock evidence for his theory between 1912 and 1929, it was rejected by most other scientists.
What was the response to Wegener’s hypothesis?
The main problem with Wegener’s hypothesis of Continental Drift was the lack of a mechanism . He did not have an explanation for how the continents moved. His attempt to explain it using tides only made things worse. But both Galileo and Darwin had serious flaws in their theories when they were first presented.
Why did other scientists disagree with Wegener?
The lack of a mechanism for Continental Drift was the excuse for the scientific community to reject the theory of Continental Drift. There was sufficient evidence at the time for the theory to be accepted. The contradictions to accepted theories was perhaps the main reason Continental Drift was rejected.
Why did Pangea break up?
Scientists believe that Pangea broke apart for the same reason that the plates are moving today . The movement is caused by the convection currents that roll over in the upper zone of the mantle. This movement in the mantle causes the plates to move slowly across the surface of the Earth.
What are the 5 evidences of continental drift theory?
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 are two pieces of evidence for seafloor spreading?
Several types of evidence from the oceans supported Hess’s theory of sea-floor spreading- evidence from molten material, magnetic stripes, and drilling samples . This evidence also led sci- entists to look again at Wegener’s theory of continental drift.
