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Dive into the historical background of the Continental Drift Theory by Alfred Wegener in 1915, highlighting evidence like fossil records and the Pangaea supercontinent idea. Learn about the theory's criticisms and Wegener's life until his death in 1930.
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Earth Science Historical IntroductionContinental Drift
1596 – Abraham Ortelius, a mapmaker, suggested the Americas were “torn away from Europe and Africa…by earthquakes and floods”
The Continental Drift Theory • Meteorologist Alfred Wegener • 1915 published “The Origins of Oceans and Continents” • proposed Pangaea
Supercontinent “Pangaea” • Idea based on ‘fit’ of the continents
Wegener’s Evidence • Fossil evidence • Tropical plant fossils in Antarctica • Rock type and structural similarities • Matching mountain ranges on different continents • Paleoclimatic evidence • Glacial deposits in Africa
Criticism of Drift Theory • Theory not accepted in Wegener’s lifetime • He could not explain how such large land masses could be moved Last photo of Wegener before his death in 1930 on a meteorological expedition in Greenland