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PLATE TECTONICS http://gly.fsu.edu/~parker/Academy/ Instructor: Bill Parker

Oct 2. In the Beginning … (Birth of a Revolution). Oct 9. H. Hughes, CIA, and Cold War paranoia. Oct 16. Earthquakes and Tsunamis. Oct 23. Volcanoes. Oct 30. Sealevel, Climate, Global Warming, and Extinction. Nov 6. What’s Next?. PLATE TECTONICS http://gly.fsu.edu/~parker/Academy/

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PLATE TECTONICS http://gly.fsu.edu/~parker/Academy/ Instructor: Bill Parker

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  1. Oct 2 In the Beginning … (Birth of a Revolution) Oct 9 H. Hughes, CIA, and Cold War paranoia Oct 16 Earthquakes and Tsunamis Oct 23 Volcanoes Oct 30 Sealevel, Climate, Global Warming, and Extinction Nov 6 What’s Next? PLATE TECTONICS http://gly.fsu.edu/~parker/Academy/ Instructor: Bill Parker • Department of Geological Sciences • Office: 207 Carraway Bldg • Phone: 644-1568 • email: wparker@mailer.fsu.edu

  2. Plate Tectonics – A Scientific Revolution Vive la Revolucion!

  3. A Fight Between: • Disciplines • Generations • Geographic Locales • Philosophies • Personalities • What was at stake: • How direct research • How teach classes • How apply for grants • Driven By: • Data • Technology • Philosophy • Travel • Personalities

  4. Old School Mobile Belts Geosyncline Theory: Eugeosynclines Miogeosynclines Zugogeosynclines

  5. ISOSTASY: Dynamic buoyant balance of lithosphere

  6. OROGENIES: Mountain building events

  7. The Trouble With Maps

  8. Continental Jig-saw Puzzle Leonardo da Vinci and Francis Bacon wondered about the possibility of the American and African continents having broken apart, based on their shapes.

  9. Eduard Suess 1831-1914 U. Vienna geologist Gondwanaland

  10. Alfred Wegener – 1880-1930 German meteorologist, climatologist Proposed “Continental Drift” and “Pangaea”

  11. Continental Fit Ancient Glaciers

  12. Mesosaurus – small, lake-dwelling reptile 240 Mya

  13. Glossopteris – extinct tree with tongue-shaped leaves 250-300 Mya

  14. Although the hypothesis of moving continents seems fantastic to many students of the Earth, it has stimulated numerous investigations that are resulting in substantial increase of geologic information. Even if the hypothesis eventually should be disproved, its influence has been beneficial… Longwell, et al., 1948 Convergent lines of evidence derived from the methods of geophysics, geochemistry, geology, and biology have made a virtual certainty of horizontal lithospheric motions on a scale and at a rate that would have seemed to border on fantasy if they had been suggested little more than a decade earlier. Strahler, 1971

  15. Mechanism?

  16. Many found it humorous… Continental Drip Hypothesis (AKA Sherwin Williams Model) “Pangooy” …and the concept almost died with Wegener in 1930.

  17. Arthur Holmes – 1890-1965 Edinburgh geologist, proposed mantle convection as mechanism for Continental Drift in 1940’s

  18. Harry H. Hess – Princeton Professor of oceanography, WWII ship’s captain used early sonar to image deep ocean floor. Combined new knowledge of deep ocean with Holmes’ “convection” idea “Seafloor Spreading” = Geopoetry

  19. Where did these new ideas come from, and why were they accepted? • New Data • New Technology • New Philosophy (paradigm) • Travel

  20. The value of the absurd hypothesis Yves Rossy

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