From the 1950s through the 1970s, plate tectonics is the modern version of continental drift, a theory first proposed by scientist alfred wegener in 1912. Alfred wegeners theory of continental drift had never gained much scientific support due to its. He published his observations in a geological comparison of south america with south africa1927, and later he developed his ideas in our wandering continents1937. Continental drift as paleomagnetic evidence emerged that supported the theory of continental drift, additional work was performed to fit the continents together see figure 12. Pdf on sep 15, 1994, charles musarurwa and others published plate. Continental drift wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. Continental drift alfred wegener, a german arctic explorer and geophysicist who lived in the early 1900s, was struck by the resemblance between the continents and icefloes in the arctic oceans, resulting from the breakup of sheets of floating seaice. Continental drift was not accepted when first proposed, but in the 1960s it became a cornerstone of the theory of global plate tectonics.
Fresh water dinosaur found on different continents 7. Vine was actually a phd student under matthews at the time of. Magnetic anomalies over oceanic ridges nature 199, 1963, pp. The plate tectonic theory is a relatively new, accepted only around 50 years ago. Theory of continental drift the continental drift hypothesis was developed in the early part of the 20th century, mostly by alfred wegener. This was the time when reptiles and winged insects first appeared. Matthews later confirmed that seafloor spreading had indeed taken. It explained the first scientific test for sea floor spreading. Development of plate tectonic theory timeline preceden. Mar 21, 2020 plate tectonics, theory dealing with the dynamics of earths outer shell that revolutionized earth sciences by providing a uniform context for understanding mountainbuilding processes, volcanoes, and earthquakes as well as the evolution of earths surface and reconstructing its past continents and oceans. His work, along with that of fellow briton fred vine and canadian lawrence morley, showed how variations in the magnetic properties of rocks forming the ocean. One of the most important contributions to the development of plate tectonic theory was alfred wegeners 1915 publication of the origin of continents and oceans which outlined his theory of continental drift. Geologist and geophysicist drummond matthews provided early scientific support for the theory of plate tectonics, in a 1963 paper coauthored by his graduate student, frederick vine.
Fred vine and drummond matthews made a significant contribution to the development of plate tectonics theory in 1963, when their paper, magnetic anomalies over ocean ridges was published. Wegener supported his argument with five lines of evidence. The palaeomagnetism hypothesis proposed by frederick j. The rejection of continental drift uc press journals. Continental drift is now explained as a consequence of moving plates.
Most of what was known about earth before the second world war was based on continental geology. Drummond matthews, a geophysicist whose work provided a critical underpinning for the theory that the earths crust consists of large rigid plates, died on july 20 in taunton, england. Plate tectonics development of tectonic theory britannica. My friends and i are here to present my theory of continental drift, which i published in the year 1915. Finally during the 1960s two cambridge scientists, drummond matthews and. Feb 23, 2008 continental drift alfred wegener, a german arctic explorer and geophysicist who lived in the early 1900s, was struck by the resemblance between the continents and icefloes in the arctic oceans, resulting from the breakup of sheets of floating seaice. Wegener said that continents move around on earths surface and that they were once joined together as a single supercontinent. The concept was independently and more fully developed by alfred wegener in 1912, but his theory was rejected by many for. The theory of continental drift came into existence as an attempt to explain the apparent correspondence between the african and south american coastlines on either side of the atlantic ocean. By defining the edge of a continent as the middle of the continental slope, rather than the existing and constantly. 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. There he argued for the separation of wegeners pangea into the two super continents, laurasia and gondwana.
Matthews and his graduate student fred vine also british demonstrated that variations in the magnetic properties of crustal material forming the. Seafloor spreading theory sfst seafloor spreading describes the movement of. Magnetic anomalies over oceanic ridges nature 199, 1963. The continents are embedded within the lithospheric plates that comprises the upper 80100 km of the. Published on the origins of oceans and continents in which he set out the theory of continental drift. The concept of plate tectonics was formulated in the 1960s.
Just as icefloes which have broken apart match along the line of break, so did the edges of. Magnetic anomalies over oceanic ridges in the footsteps of. Drummond hoyle matthews 5 february 1931 20 july 1997 was a british marine geologist and geophysicist whose research and field studies contributed significantly to the plate tectonics theory. Drummond hoyle matthews british geophysicist britannica. In 1966 51 years after wegener clarified the problem that dan mckenzie had just submitted his phd on convection in the earths mantle. It was the arrival of modern seismology that made the most difference. The megaocean is called panthalassa which means all water. Drum matthews grew up in the coastal village of porlock in somerset in the southwest of england. Continental drift p95 red book, 182 in sciencesaurus theory that continents were once part of a single landmass that broke apart and have moved to their present locations. A fossilized plant found on different continents 2. Drummond hoyle matthews, british geophysicist whose work, with student fred vine, led to the discovery that magnetic stripes on the sides of ridges on the ocean floor were the result of seafloor spreading.
All this evidence, both from the ocean floor and from the continental margins, made it clear around 1965 that continental drift was feasible and the theory of plate tectonics, which was defined in a series of papers between 1965 and 1967, was born, with all its extraordinary explanatory and predictive power. Plate tectonics exercises vancouver island university. Continental drift refers to the movement of the continents relative to each other. The outlines of the continents flanking the atlantic ocean are so similar that their correspondence was apparent as soon as accurate maps became available. Fred vine and drummond matthews made a significant contribution to the development of plate tectonics theory in 1963, when their paper, magnetic anomalies. Without referring to it as such, the contents of the paper showed proof that continental drift had indeed occurred. Finally in 1963 two scientists, drummond matthews and fred vine, were able to scientifically prove the idea of seafloor spreading. Fred vine and drummond matthews, propose a hypothesis that elegantly explained magnetic reversal stripes on the ocean floor. Origins of plate tectonic theory earth science visionlearning. Polar wandering similar to continental drift theory polar wandering is the relative movement of the earths crust and upper mantle with respect to the rotational poles of the earth. Continental drift and seafloor spreading what was known about functioning of the planet that set the stage for plate tectonic theory. The following website contains a more detailed and lesson plans on plate tectonics. Drummond matthews and fred vine, discovered that on either side of the midatlantic ridge there were a series. Wegener used which of the following to provide evidence for continental drift.
Drummond hoyle matthews came by his middle name in a fairly conventional manner. The university of southern mississippi department of marine science mar 581. Plate tectonics plate tectonics development of tectonic theory. It states that the earths oceanic crust acts as a recorder of reversals in the geomagnetic. Continents cover 29 percent of the surface of the earth and remainder is under oceanic waters.
Continental drift plates in the crust of the earth, according to the plate tectonics theory from wikipedia, the free encyclopedia continental drift is the movement of the earths continents relative to each other. Alfred wegener 1912 german meteorologist continental drift theory arthur holmes 1929 english geologist convection in the mantle. The lithosphere is broken up into seven very large continental and oceansized plates, six or seven mediumsized. Magnetic bands provide evidence of seafloor spreading pbs. Why did they eventually accept continental drift as part of the theory of plate tectonics. The earliest references to this similarity were made in 1596 by flemish cartographer abraham ortelius and later in 1620 by the english philosopher francis bacon, in his. To many high school pupils, continental drift, isostacy and plate tectonics. Drum toyed with ideas of continental drift to explain this 1. According to the theory, earth has a rigid outer layer, known as the lithosphere, which is typically about 100 km 60 miles thick and overlies a plastic moldable, partially molten layer called the asthenosphere. His continental drift theory was the first step in the development of plate tectonic theory, the foundation upon which modern geology is built.
Morley and british geophysicists frederick vine and drummond matthews. It explained everything from earthquakes to the formation of island chains. The early exposure to the ocean had a huge impact on his life and later career as a marine geologist. The vinematthewsmorley hypothesis, also known as the morleyvinematthews hypothesis, was the first key scientific test of the seafloor spreading theory of continental drift and plate tectonics. This module describes how the work of alfred wegener, harry hess, and others led to our understanding of plate tectonics. Alfred wegner was a german meteorologist who put forth the continental drift theory in 1912 it is considered that there was a single landmass called pangaea which means all earth. As early as 1620, the english philosopher francis bacon noted the similarity between the west coast of africa and the east coast of south america. Continental drift theory no need to take notes i have taken them for you 2. Continental drift theory continental drift is the hypothesis that all the continents had once been joined together in a single landmass. Introduction to plate tectonic theory, geodesy, and vlbi the plate tectonic theory is a relatively new, accepted only around 50 years ago. It drifted south until it reached the equator and then it split up during the jurassic period. Yet knowledge of the constitution of the earth was scarce for more than two centuries to come. Lima explains the origins and evidence behind the original continental drift theory by alfred wegener. Their work is considered the first scientific test of sea floor spreading, and a crucial development in the theory of plate tectonics wikipedia.
However, over the past 50 years, scientists have used the theory of continental drift to develop the. In 1963, fred vine, drummond matthews, and others found that the crust surrounding the midocean ridges showed alternating bands each. It is considered that there was a single landmass called pangaea which means all earth. Continental drift wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Alfred wegeners theory of continental drift had never gained much scientific support due to its lack of any satisfactory mechanism to drive the process. In 1965, canadian geologist tuzo wilson proposed a type of transform fault to accom modate the spreading sea floor around midocean ridges, which was confirmed by us seismologist lynn sykes. Drummond hoyle matthews frs 5 february 1931 20 july 1997, known as drum, was a british marine geologist and geophysicist and a key contributor to the theory of plate tectonics. Drummond hoyle matthews frs 5 february 1931 20 july 1997, known as drum, was a british marine geologist and geophysicist and a key contributor to the theory. In line with other previous and contemporaneous proposals, in 1912 the meteorologist alfred wegener amply described what he called continental drift, expanded in his 1915 book the origin of continents and oceans 1, and the scientific debate started that would end up fifty years later in the theory of plate tectonics. Most of what was known about earth before the second world war was based on continental. A short history of nearly everything part 3 chapter 12. The development of the theory of continental drift and plate tectonics.
Wegener didnt have an explanation for how continents could move around the planet. Choose the one option that does not fit the pattern. Their finding, that the crust near midocean ridges was comprised of streaks or alternating magnetic polarity, suggested that the magnetic polarization of newlyformed rocks could be used to substantiate the theory of seafloor spreading. Its key impact was that it allowed the rates of plate motions at midocean ridges to be computed. Proponent of the continental drift theoryhypothesis. Matthews and his graduate student fred vine also british demonstrated that variations in the magnetic properties of crustal material forming the ocean floor were consistent with harry hesss 1962 theory of sea floor spreading. Their work established the mechanism for see floor spreading and validated alfred wegeners theory of continental drift. Magnetic bands provide evidence of seafloor spreading 1963. The theory of continental drift remained a highly controversial idea. He claimed that there had been one super continent called pangea. Not very much was known about the face of the seafloor until military interests submarine warfare drove massive. Examine the five words andor phrases and determine the relationship among the majority of wordsphrases. However, over the past 50 years, scientists have used the theory of continental drift to develop the current theory the theory of plate tectonics. At this point the theory of plate tectonics was born.
Continental drift and plate tectonics university of iceland. They suggested that the new oceanic crust, formed by the solidification of. Alfred was trying to get his girlfriends father to like him. The vinematthewsmorley hypothesis, also known as the morleyvine matthews hypothesis, was the first key scientific test of the seafloor spreading theory of continental drift and plate tectonics.
The continental drift of the past 250 million years antonio sniderpellegrinis illustration of the closed and opened atlantic ocean 1858 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. Alfred wegner was a german meteorologist who put forth the continental drift theory in 1912. For geodesy and continental drift measurements, data from a distant quasar are. Theory and method in american earth science oxford univ. Theory of continental was purposed by alferedwegner in 1912 3. Introduction to plate tectonic theory, geodesy, and vlbi. Frederick vine and drummond matthews the geological society.
Just as icefloes which have broken apart match along the line of break, so did the edges of some continents match, e. Jul 24, 2019 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. Dec 16, 2019 continental drift refers to the movement of the continents relative to each other. The split was still continuing and the present continents were moving.
During the 1950s, however, extensive surveys of the ocean floor revealed a global, linked system of midocean ridges, all of which exhibited high thermal flow and considerable seismic activity. The speculation that continents might have drifted was first put forward by abraham ortelius in 1596. By the time german geophysicist alfred wegener proposed continental drift in 1912, palaeontologists had long accepted that past connections between nowseparate lands explained the spread of similar fossils and rock layers across them. 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. The theory of continental drift was the first step toward plate tectonic theory, which became the foundation upon which modern geology is built.