Geologists today understand that the earths crust is broken up into eight. Now that scientists understand plate tectonics and how the earth moves, they would be able to support wegener s theory with how continental drift works. Wegener s theory was initially rejected, but by late 1950s, there were considerable supporters to the continental drift theory. Continentverschuiving, continentale drift of continentendrift van het engelse continental drift is het geologische verschijnsel waarbij continenten bewegen. His father, richard wegener, was a theologian and teacher of classical languages at the berlinisches gymnasium zum grauen kloster. The ones marked may be different from the article in the profile. Thanks wegener collected ancient climate information to confirm his glacial data. Although wagners initial theory did not cover mantle convection until arthur holmes later proposed the theory. Wegener is the first to combine the most diverse geological sensu lato evidences in a single great synthesis. Alfred wegener developed theory of continental drift alfred wegener was a german meteorologist studied weather credited with development of the continental. Continental drift p95 red book, 182 in sciencesaurus theory that continents were once part of a single landmass that broke apart and have moved to their. Today, the theory of continental drift has been replaced by the science of plate tectonics. My friends and i are here to present my theory of continental drift, which i published in the year 1915. Alfred wegener and continental drift it was not until 1912 that the idea of moving continents was seriously considered as a fullblown scientific theory called continental drift introduced in two articles published by a 32yearold german meteorologist named alfred lothar wegener alfred lothar wegener 18801930 earned a.
Wegener said that continents move around on earths surface and that they were once joined together as a single supercontinent. Continental drift was a revolutionary scientific theory developed in the years 19081912 by alfred wegener 18801930, a german meteorologist, climatologist, and geophysicist, that put forth the hypothesis that the continents had all originally been a part of one enormous landmass or supercontinent about 240 million years ago before breaking apart and drifting to their current locations. Soda pdf merge tool allows you to combine two or more documents into a single pdf file for free. This video describes the evidence alfred wegener used to formulate his continental drift hypothesis and examines why this idea did not gain wide acceptance when it was originally proposed. Tuzo wilson brought together many previous ideas into the global theory that we now call plate tectonics the. According to wegener s continental drift theory, all the continents were one single continental mass called a super continent pangaea and a mega ocean surrounded this supercontinent. This very fact forms the basis of an interesting hypothesis known as the continental drift theory. Split pdf files into individual pages, delete or rotate pages, easily merge pdf files together or edit and modify pdf files.
Wegener and the continental drift hypothesis discusses how the lack of a plausible mechanism kept wegener s colleagues from accepting his continental drift hypothesis. Particularly, the mapping of the ocean floor and palaeomagnetic studies of rocks from oceanic regions revealed the following facts. Pdf alfred wegenerfrom continental drift to plate tectonics. In 1912, alfred wegener proposed a theory that the continents had once been joined, and over time had drifted apart. Various theories regarding the drift of the continents and oceans were forwarded by numerous geographers, among which the continental drift theory by alfred wegener, was considered the most valid and significant one. First proposed in modern form by wegener, and actively promoted by the british geologist arthur holmes and the south african alexander du toit, the theory was not generally accepted until a suitable transport mechanism seafloor spreading was found. Continental drift is the theory that the earths continents have moved over geologic time relative to each other, thus appearing to have drifted across the ocean. Defending of alfred wegener due date january 19, 2018 you will be writing a persuasive essay that defends alfred wegener s theory of continental drift as well as the theory of plate tectonics against an alternative theory titled the expanding earth theory.
According to continental drift theory there existed one big landmass which he called pangaea which was covered by. This evidence shows that continental drift happens at an extremely slow pace. The merger concentrated on the southern hemisphere. The validation of continental drift stephen jay gould. This cited by count includes citations to the following articles in scholar. Ever since the continents were all mapped, people had noticed that many coastlines, like those of south america and africa, looked as though they. This video explores how the apparent fit of the continents, fossil and rock correlation, and paleoclimate data. Continental drift theory alfred wegener, 1922 plate tectonics breakup of pangea. Continental drift germantown municipal school district. Alfred lothar wegener nov, 1, 1880 1930 was a german polar researcher, geophysicist and meteorologist. In the early 1900s, german meteorologist alfred wegener developed a theory describing how the continental land masses were moving across the earth.
Alfred wegener collected diverse pieces of evidence to support his theory, including geological fit and fossil evidence. It appears that despite the criticism, alfred wegener was correct all along. Continental drift theory, basically means the way that resulted the present location of the continents and oceans. Wegener thought all the continents were once joined together in an urkontinent before breaking up and drifting to. This free online tool allows to combine multiple pdf or image files into a single pdf document. Good afternoon, i am a german scientist alfred wegener. Continental drift the theory of continental drift was proposed at the beginning of the last century by german scientist alfred wegener before wegener developed his theory, it was thought that. Continental drift a brief history of continental drift theories continued 1944 arthur holmes suggests a mechanism for continental drift based on convection currents in the earths mantle. Alfred wegener s theory of continental drift upsc ias evidence and rejection of the theory during the second and third decades of the twentieth century, the notion of continental drift was revived, most notably by the german meteorologist and geophysicist alfred wegener. Continental drift theory by alfred wegener brainery. Continental drift, largescale horizontal movement of continents relative to. Wegener s idea of continental drift had been taken a step further. Chapter 1 from continental drift to plate tectonics naomi oreskes since the l6th century, cartographers have noticed the jigsawpuzzle fit of the continental edges.
Alfred wegener theory of continental drift found evidence for pangaea and proposed the theory of continental drift. Wegeners continental drift meets wilsons plate tectonics how wegener s continental drift evidence matches up with evidence for plate tectonics it was in the late 1960s that j. Foremost in this effort was to show wegener s thinking and his construction of the continental drift argument. Alfred wegener suggested continental drift theory in the 1920s. Defending of alfred wegener westerville city school district. The page shown is from a reproduction of wegener s own copy of the 1915. The reaction to alfred wegener s theory tells us much about the workings of science. Our pdf merger allows you to quickly combine multiple pdf files into one single pdf document, in just a few clicks. A free and open source software to merge, split, rotate and extract pages from pdf files. All continents were once connected in a single large landmass. He thought that the similarity might arise because south america and africa were parts of the same. Continental drift, largescale horizontal movement of continents relative to one another and to the ocean basins during one or more episodes of geologic time. It is important to know that the following specific fossil evidence was not brought up by wegener to support his theory. Wegener picked up on many arguments voiced by others of the time and as.
Continental drift theory continental drift is the hypothesis that all the continents had once been joined together in a single landmass. The theory that the continents have slowly changed their relative positions throughout geological time. Gondwana was a huge landmass that fragmented to form the current day america, africa, australia, india, arabian peninsula, balkans, madagascar, and antarctica. I tried to avoid terms employed in plate tectonics but soon found it difficult not to occasionally use the term plate for scholle. The theory of continental drift continental drift discovery the world alfred wegener theory of continental drift continental drift p95 red book, 182 in sciencesaurus theory that continents were once part of a single landmass that broke apart and have moved to their present locations. A similar hypothesis was proposed by german physicist alfred lothar wegener in the year 1912. This concept was an important precursor to the development of the theory of plate tectonics, which incorporates it. The theory of continental drift put a bomb under geological orthodoxy.
Alfred wegener, pangea, and the evidence for continental. Pdf merge combinejoin pdf files online for free soda pdf. The continental drift hypothesis was developed in the early part of the 20th century, mostly by alfred wegener. Alfred wegener s theory of continental drift and evidence.
Distribution of oceans and continents 33 available at the time wegener put forth his concept of continental drift. Wegener s theory of continental drift wegener started toying with the concept of continental drift in 1910 when, looking at a new atlas, he was impressed afresh with the remarkable similarity in the coastlines across the south atlantic ocean. For the glaciers to have been present with the continents in their current positions, much of the world should have been under ice. Continental drift introduced in two articles published. If according to the theory of continental drift there as only one continent and one ocean about 250 million years ago. Wegener noticed that the continents fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Alfred wegener postulated the past existence of a supercontinent in which the continents were merged. Wegeners continental drift meets wilsons plate tectonics. Alfred wegener was born in berlin on 1 november 1880 as the youngest of five children in a clergymans family. His theory was rejected by most geologists during his lifetime but was resurrected and made a central feature of modern geology as part of the theory of plate tectonics in. They broke apart about 200 million years ago and drifted apart to their current positions. This is what wegener thought pangea looked like 200300 million years ago. A brief overview of the theory of continental drift and the evidence supporting it.
Alfred wegener, german meteorologist and geophysicist who formulated the first complete statement of the continental drift hypothesis. He is most remembered as the original theorist of the theory of continental drift by hypothesizing that the continents are slowly drifting around the earth. Download fulltext pdf alfred wegenerfrom continental drift to plate tectonics article pdf available in resonance 106. The continental drift hypothesis was developed in the early part of the 20 th century, mostly by alfred wegener. Alfred wegener s fossil evidence for continental drift is shown on the cutouts. Cut out each of the continents along the edge of the continental shelf the outermost dark line. Alfred wegener proposed the theory of continental drift the idea that the earths continents move over hundreds of millions of years of geologic time long before the idea was commonly accepted. While wegener was alive, scientists did not believe that the continents. Wegener himself did not collect the fossils but he called. This was the time when reptiles and winged insects first appeared. While wegener was alive, scientists did not believe that the. What are six things that supported wegener s theory of continental drift. Evidences and limitations of continental drift theory 3. The theory of continental drift is sure to stir your.
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