Wegener and the Theory of Continental Drift

Prepared for Dr. burbot Hauser Shorter University EASC 2060 The inborn World Submitted by Lillie Momon December 6, 2011 Running head Wegener and the Theory of Continental Drift Alfred Wegener (1880-1930) was a German scientist in the fields of meteorology, astronomy, and geology. He was unitary of the first scientists to theorize about the Continental drift or chastes in motion, which supports the belief that the Earths continents once were a single land mass. Wegener called this land mass, Pangaea, because the continents began to disturb up, and various parts drifted past from one another.According to Wegener, the east shoreline of Africa and the western sandwich shoreline of South America fit together like a parting of jigsaw puzzle, and when you align the continents at their Continental shelves, their fit is even break down (Wegener, 2007) . When scientist and geologist began to traveler roughly the world, it was even more(prenominal) evident that Wegeners possibility of Continental drift could be possible, because scientist had once thought that the continents had started off in their places, where they now lie. However, Wegeners theory began to change the way people looked at the world. innovationd on the theory of Continental drift, Wegener began to gather evidence from around the world from landforms, fossils, and climate and put it in a book titled The Origin of Continents and Oceans, which was published in 1915. Wegeners theory was rejected because he could not put forward evidence on the force that moved the continents. Base upon the reading of, Conceptual incorporate Science, Harry Hess and Robert Dietz, both scientists came up with a hypothesis that linked, Wegeners theory of Continental drift, to seafloor spreading. The seafloor is repeatedly changing as new geosphere forms in mid ocean the older lithosphere is pushed from the ridge into a deep ocean trench, which causes the continents to shift (Weil, 1997) . According to Dr. Heathe r Hauser, a professor at Shorter University, in the late nineteen fifties, geologists engraft new evidence of continental drift, such as 2 rocks coordinated exactly. Both rocks were the same age, and had the same exact genetic structure. These two landforms were ascertained in 1958. The location of these rocks, were western South America and south eastern Africa.This disco very(prenominal) helps prove that continental drift has actually occurred, because it is nearly unrealizable for two rocks of the same kind to turn up on two separate continents (Hauser, 2011) . Then in 1912, Wegener similarly found a tropic plant on the island of Spitsbergen. This island lies north of Norway in the Atlantic Ocean. Today Spitsbergen is cover in ice and has polar climate. This is important because today no tropic plant can grow in Spitsbergen, because its temperature is too cold. Wegener indicated that, Spitsbergen was once nestled to the equator.He thought that this was the only possible solution for the unusual discovery. At the same time when Spitsbergen was warm and tropical, Africas temperature was frost, but today Africa is cognize for its hot and tropical climate. Some geologists have cerebrate that the temperature was once freezing by discovering rocks that are covered in deep scratches. These scratches were caused by continental glaciers. Today, Africas weather is too mild for any type of glacier to form. Wegener concluded that when Pangaea existed, it was closer to the South Pole.Based on science research, when any continent moves to either pole, their temperature begins to drop. Based upon, all of the evidence from the landforms, fossils and climate, leads one to believe that continental drift did occurred (Wagner, 2008) . Scientist also discovered particular fresh water reptilian fossils that have been found in Africa and South America. These two continents were separated by the Atlantic Ocean, making it extremely difficult for the same fossil to be f ound on to different continent. Which makes Wegeners theory more plausible?Scientist later discovered a fernlike plant, which had existed about two coulomb and fifty years ago. Wegener used this plant to prove his theory of continental drift could have occurred, because this plant was found in many locations (Wagner, 2008) . as well as based upon, the evidence from the landforms, fossils and climate, leads scientist and geologist alike to believe that continental drift, actually did occur. We also have our reading material from, Conceptual Integrated Science and a short documentary film on the land crust that was showed in our Science class, the Natural World, which ook placed at Shorter University, supervised by, Dr. Heather Hauser, which implies that the home office tectonics are the main forces behind the changes that happen here on Earth. If we were to use some of the evident of plate tectionic,using the boundary between the peaceable Plate and the North American Plate to illustrate just a few of the fascinating features that are created along these boundaries. According to the evident reviewed, the earths crust is not a solid mass. It is shaped more like a jigsaw puzzle that is made up of continental plates that shift around on top of the mantle.This movement takes place very slowly and large scale movement can only be measured in millions of years according to Dr. Hauser (Hauser, 2011) . Wegeners theory is more often than not based on a combination of two main ideas Continental Drift and Sea flooring. Each piece of the puzzle slides and grinds past, under, over, or away from the other pieces around it. The boundary where the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate meet is called, a convergent boundary. This is where one plate (The Pacific Plate) moves into and then underneath the other one (North America).This creates a whole solidification of grinding, folding, pushing, and otherwise violent forces (Hewitt, 2007) . So therefore, based upon the evidence which have been provide in reference to the landforms, fossils, climate, seafloor spreading, and plate tectonic compels one to believe, that Alfred Wegener, theory of the continental drift really did occurred and that continental drift will continue for millions and millions or years, long after humans are gone. Hauser, D. H. (2011, November 29). The Natural World. (L. Momon, Interviewer) Hewitt, P. G. (2007). Conceptual Integrated Science. San Francisco Pearson. Wagner, I. 2008, Aug 11). The Great Continental Drift Mystery. Retrieved November 28, 2011, from Yale Educational Curriculum http//www. yale. edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1991/6/91. 06. 05. x. html Watson, J. (1999, Oct 11). Dynamic Contienents. Retrieved November 26, 2011, from http//pubs. usgs. gov/gip/dynamic/continents. html Wegener, A. (2007). Continental Drift-An Idea onward Its Time. In P. G. hewitt, Conceptual Integrated Science (pp. 511-517). San Francisco Pearson. Weil, A. (1997, Mar 6). The Rocky tar radiddle of an Idea. Retrieved November 26, 2011, from Plate Tectonics http//www. ucmp. berkeley. edu/geology/techist. html