Alfred Wegener and Continental Drift
Geophysicist and geologist Tanya Atwater discusses the role of Alfred Wegener in bringing together a variety of evidence in support of the theory of continental drift.
Making the Pieces Fit: Alfred Wegener and Continental Drift
Alfred Wegener proposed the idea of continental drift to explain the jigsaw puzzle fit of the continents. Wegner argued that the continents had all been joined together at one time as a super continent he called Pangaea. Wegener's ideas were initial...
Wegener's Mistakes
Geophysicist and geologist Tanya Atwater talks about mistakes made by Alfred Wegener in formulating his theory of continental drift, some of which created doubt and skepticism among fellow geologists.
Early Evidence of Continental Drift
Geophysicist and geologist Tanya Atwater points to the jig-saw puzzle fit of Africa and South America as the most obvious evidence supporting the theory of continental drift.
Making the Pieces Fit: Birth of a Theory: Plate Tectonics
Canadian geophysicist John Tuzo Wilson argued that Earth's outer layer consists of about a dozen separate plates, which float on the partially melted asthenosphere below them. His ideas paved the way for the integration of seafloor spreading and con...