Who is Alfred Wegener And what did he discover?

Alfred Wegener, in full Alfred Lothar Wegener, (born November 1, 1880, Berlin, Germany—died November 1930, Greenland), German meteorologist and geophysicist who formulated the first complete statement of the continental drift hypothesis.

How did Alfred Wegener discover continental drift?

Fossils of similar organisms across widely disparate continents encouraged the revolutionary theory of continental drift. … In the early 20th century, Wegener published a paper explaining his theory that the continental landmasses were “drifting” across the Earth, sometimes plowing through oceans and into each other.

What discoveries did Alfred Wegener make?

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 continental drift hypothesis by suggesting in 1912 that the continents are slowly drifting around the Earth (German: Kontinentalverschiebung).

How was Alfred Wegener’s theory proved?

Wegener supported his theory by demonstrating the biological and geological similarities between continents. South America and Africa contain fossils of animals found only on those two continents, with corresponding geographic ranges.

What was Alfred Wegener’s theory of Pangaea?

Wegener’s continental drift theory introduced the idea of moving continents to geoscience. He proposed that Earth must have once been a single supercontinent before breaking up to form several different continents.

What is Alfred Wegener’s best known for?

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.

Was Alfred Wegener married?

Where did Alfred Wegener do his research?

In 1905 Wegener went to work at the Royal Prussian Aeronautical Observatory near Berlin, where he used kites and balloons to study the upper atmosphere.

What was Arthur Holmes theory?

Holmes primary contribution was his proposed theory that convection occurred within the Earth’s mantle, which explained the push and pull of continent plates together and apart. He also assisted scientists in oceanographic research in the 1950s, which publicized the phenomenon known as sea floor spreading.

Who were Alfred Wegener’s parents?

Alfred Wegener/Parents
Alfred Wegener was born on November 1, 1880, in Germany’s capital city, Berlin. His father, Richard Wegener, was a classical languages teacher and pastor. His mother, Anna Wegener, was a housewife. The Wegener family of two adults and five children – Alfred was the youngest – was well-off financially.

What are three facts about Alfred Wegener?

Wegener began his work studying meteorology and physics before finally receiving a doctorate in astronomy in 1905. He and his brother Kurt pioneered the research that used weather balloons to track air currents, and at one point held the record for the longest continuous balloon flight at 52.5 hours.

When was Arthur Holmes theory recognized?

One of the key elements in plate tectonic theory is the phenomenon of seafloor spreading, and it is notable that Holmes’ 1928 paper anticipated this concept by 35 years. The full text of Holmes’ paper appeared in volume 18 of the Transactions of the Geological Society of Glasgow, which was published in 1931.

What was Arthur Holmes degree in?

Arthur Holmes began studying physics at the Imperial College of Science in London, but switched to geology before graduating in 1910. In 1913, before he even earned his doctoral degree, he proposed the first geological time scale, based on the fairly recently discovered phenomenon of radioactivity.

Where was Arthur Holmes from?

Hebburn is a town in South Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. Hebburn is on the south bank of the River Tyne in North East England situated between the towns of Jarrow and Gateshead and to the south of Walker. The population of Hebburn was 18,808 in 2001, reducing to 16,492 at the 2011 Census for the two Hebburn Wards.

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What did Arthur Holmes suggested in the year 1929 about thermal convection?

Arthur Holmes , in 1927 and then in 1929, proposed that convective currents within the Earth could be responsible of the break-up and movement of the continental masses (Oldroyd, 2011) .

What is the main reason why scientists did not believe Wegener’s idea of continental drift?

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.

Did Alfred Wegener use convection currents?

Thus, despite significant differences in detail, Alfred Wegener was right in most of his major concepts. … Convection currents in the molten magma of the upper mantle are the favorite candidate; Wegener discussed this possibility in his 1929 revision.

What is the driving force of mountain building postulated by Arthur Holmes?

The driving force of mountain building implied by Arthur Holmes is provided by thermal convection currents originating deep within the earth.

What was Holmes argument for why plates move?

He proposed that upward convection might lift or even rupture the crust, that lateral movement could propel the crust sideways like a conveyor belt, and that where convection turned downwards, the buoyant continents would crumple up and form mountains.

What was Harry Hess contribution to plate tectonics?

Hess’ most significant contribution to the plate tectonic theory began in 1945 when he was the commander of the U.S.S. Cape Johnson. While traveling from one destination to another, Hess would leave the sounding equipment on that would take measurements of the sea floor.

Who gave convection current theory?

Arthur Holmes
Convectional Current Theory was given by Arthur Holmes in the 1930s. It discussed the possibility of convection currents operating in the mantle portion These currents are generated due to radioactive elements causing thermal differences in the mantle portion.