Science, exploration, and the theory of continental drift by greene, mott t. A brief introduction to alfred wegener s theory of continental drift, which would lay the groundwork for the development of plate tectonic theory, which essentially explains the. From mountains to earthquakes and deep sea rifts to island arc volcanoes, its all tied together in plate tectonics, which began just over a hundred years ago as continental drift. The father of continental drift scientific revolutionaries. Poorly respected in his lifetime, wegener and his ideas about moving continents seemed destined to be lost in history as fringe science. Mott greenes new and groundbreaking book on wegener, alfred wegener. Here is the main evidence that wegener and his supporters collected for his continental drift hypothesis. The hypothesis of continental drift theory by alfred wegener, clarifies certain confusions regarding the formation and location of the present day continents and oceans of the earth. Technology also helped scientists to develop a mechanism for how continents could drift. Alfred wegeners theory of continental drift and evidence. Alfred lothar wegener 18801930, the originator of the theory of continental drift. His theory was rejected by most geologists during his lifetime but was resurrected and made a central feature of modern geology.
This work was one of the first to suggest continental drift and plate tectonics. Alfred wegener proposed the theory of continental drift the idea that earths continents move. Alfred wegener aimed to create a revolution in science which would ra. Alfred wegener collected diverse pieces of evidence to support his theory, including geological fit and fossil evidence. In 1915, however, one of the most influential and most controversial books in the history of science provided a new solution. Science, exploration, and the theory of continental drift.
Alfred wegener s most popular book is the origin of continents and oceans. Pdf alfred wegener the father of continental drift. Unsurprising for such an approach, the book is characterized by. The origin of continents and oceans book by alfred wegener. German climatologist and geophysicist who, in 1915, published as expanded version of his 1912 book the origin of continents and oceans. He included evidence that the continents had been joined. The hypothesis of continental drift theory was put forwarded by the german scholar alfred wegener, in the year 1912. The origin of continents and oceans alfred wegener. My fellow scientists, make sure you introduce yourself as alfred wegener. Alfred wegener covers much more than the life of this extraordinary scientist and his development of the continental drift hypothesis.
Alfred wegener 18801930 was a german scientist who. Alfred lothar wegener was a german polar researcher, geophysicist and meteorologist. When german meteorologist alfred wegener first proposed his groundbreaking theory of continental displacement, later called continental drift, in 1912, his geologist peers rejected his theory because the field of geology at the turn of the century was based in 18th and 19thcentury observations about the nature of the earth and the planets development. Alfred wegeners continental drift hypothesis geosciences. Science, exploration and the theory of continental drift, adds. Wegener is remembered today as the originator and one of the chief proponents of the theory of continental drift, which he conceived after being struck by the apparent correspondence in the shapes of the coastlines on the west and east sides of the atlantic, and. Although alfred wegener was able to produce a viable hypothesis with evidence and specifically state the theory, it should be noted there were previous. Original world maps created by alfred wegener showing pangaea and the continents drifting apart. He had put forwarded this hypothesis in order to explain the distribution of the present day oceans and continents. Over the years, he continuously gathered evidence for continental drift and expanded his book from 94 pages in the 1915 first.
Write a 45 sentence paragraph introducing the theory of continental drift. Before alfred wegener s 1915 book on contintents in motion, a few others had the continue reading. 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 the 1960s. Nhbs mott t greene, johns hopkins university press. His continental drift hypothesis is in many aspects erroneous. The publication is sold out in several languages and has become widely discussed. Alfred wegener download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Alfred wegener s discovery of continental drift went through each stage with unusual drama. All of these facts supported wegener s theory of continental drift. Wegener died in 1930 on an expedition in greenland. Moreover, he was interested in the distribution of past climates. Alfred wegener aimed to create a revolution in science which would rank with those of nicolaus copernicus and charles darwin. Wegeners theory of continental drift, enables us to know about the present day earth in the most precised way.
Because of the first world war, wegener s book went unnoticed outside germany. Alfred wegener was born in berlin in 1880, and his life in many ways tells the story of the developing earth sciences in the early 20th century. Wegener was an eclectic scientist, with interests ranging from historical astronomy to aerology, the study of lunar craters, and the theory of continental drift for which he became best known. Alfred wegener the father of continental drift download.
An introduction to geology johnson, affolter, inkenbrandt, and mosher. 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 bed. The concept was independently and more fully developed by alfred wegener in 1912, but his theory was rejected by many for. Continental drift the theory of continental drift is defined as the movement of the earths continents relative to each other, thereby appearing to drift together across the oceanic bed. Winner of the choice outstanding academic title of the choice acrl. Winner of the choice outstanding academic title of the choice acrl alfred wegener aimed to create a revolution in science which would rank with those of nicolaus copernicus and charles darwin. A masterful biography of alfred wegener 18801930, the german scientist who discovered continental drift. The father of continental drift scientific revolutionaries by martin schwarzbach author isbn. Over the past few days, ive written about alfred wegener s continental drift theory, which is celebrating its 100th year as a spunky idea that explains a lot of our geology. It was when technology could provide even more evidence for continental drift that scientists looked into the idea again.
The speculation that continents might have drifted was first put forward by abraham ortelius in 1596. But the real controversy and discussion began in 1922, when he published the book the origin of continents and oceans. Wegener put his idea and his evidence together in his book the origin of continents and oceans, first published in 1915. Alfred wegener has 16 books on goodreads with 425 ratings. Alfred wegener 18801930 was a german scientist, geophysicist, and meteorologist, most known for his theory of continental drift. In 1912, alfred wegener proposed a theory that the continents had once been joined, and over time had drifted apart. It was only in the 1960s that continental drift finally became part of mainstream science. However, in the 1950s, evidence started to trickle in that made continental drift a more viable idea. In 1922, however, a third revised edition was translated into english, french, russian, spanish, and swedish, pushing wegener s theory of continental drift to the forefront of debate in the earth sciences. In 1915 the first edition of the origin of continents and oceans, a book outlining wegener s theory, was published. About 300 million years ago, claimed wegener, the continents had formed a single mass, called pangaea.
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. The continents appear to fit together, and not just south america and africa. Wegener explained various phenomena of historical geology, geomorphy, paleontology, paleoclimatology, and similar areas in terms of continental drift. Continental drift theory by alfred wegener brainery. Greene brings to life the early 20th century environment of natural sciences and scientists in germany and the repercussions of wwi on the science community. Alfred wegener johns hopkins university press books. Wegener put his idea and his evidence together in his book, the origin of continents and oceans. Science, exploration, and the theory of continental. The reaction to alfred wegeners theory tells us much about the workings of science. Alfred wegeners most popular book is the origin of continents and oceans. All of these facts supported wegeners theory of continental drift. This barcode number lets you verify that youre getting exactly the right version or edition of a book. The continental drift hypothesis was put to rest for a few decades. Science, exploration, and the theory of continental drift by mott t.
New editions of the book containing additional evidence were published later. How alfred wegener defended the theory of continental drift. 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. In 1915, when he published his theory that the worlds continents had once come together in a single landmass before splitting apart and drifting to their current positions, the worlds geologists denied and scorned it. Alfred wegener suggested that continental drift occurred as continents cut through the ocean floor, in the same way as this icebreaker plows through sea ice. Alfred wegener died in 1930 on an expedition on the greenland icecap. The present first edition is much rarer than the journal issue. First edition, journal issues in the original printed wrappers.
In 1915 alfred wegener s seminal work describing the continental drift was first published in german. In 1915 the first edition of the origin of continents and oceans, a book outlining wegeners. In todays blog post, we continue our story of the development of the theory of continental drift an idea which just celebrated its 100th birthday. Wegeners death and drifts hiatus the mountain mystery. He states in the historical introduction, that the first concept of continental drift first came to me as far back as 1910, when considering the map of the world, under the direct impression produced by the congruence of the coastlines on either side of the atlantic. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our favorite. There are various examples of fossils found on separate continents and in no other regions. Alfred wegener, german meteorologist and geophysicist who formulated the first complete statement of the continental drift hypothesis. If the continental margins are included, the fit is even better. 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. During his lifetime he was primarily known for his achievements in meteorology and as a pioneer of polar research, but today he is most remembered as the originator of the theory of continental drift by hypothesizing in 1912 that the continents are slowly drifting around the earth. Another important piece of evidence in the continental drift theory is the fossil relevance. Wegener published his hypothesis of what he originally called kontinentalverschiebung continental displacements, later translated into english as continental drift in german journals, which became the basis of his famous book in 1915, the origin of continents and oceans.
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