What Is Continental Drift and Who Discovered It?
The movement of entire landmasses around the world has led to many significant changes in our planet’s geography, yet many are not familiar with the concept of continental drift. It was a German scientist, Alfred Wegener, who first proposed the idea of continental drift back in 1912. Since that time, scientists have continued to explore this concept and its implications, from the formation of the continents and ocean basins on Earth to the development of the highly complex geological structure known as the ‘supercontinent’. Knowing what continental drift is and who first proposed the idea can help us to better understand the ever-changing face of Earth.
What is Continental Drift?
Continental drift is the process by which the Earth’s landmasses move, as determined by plate tectonics. It involves slow movements of Earth’s plates, which are large sections of Earth’s surface made up of solid lithospheric plates and several outermost layers. The lithospheric plates consists of two parts, genetic areas and accreting nodes. The shifting of these plates can cause continents to move by colliding, jutting, and sliding against each other. This process can cause great changes in the world’s geography, including the creation of mountain ranges, as well as the opening and closing of ocean basins.
Evidence for Continental Drift
Before Wegener first proposed an explanation for the evidence of continental drift, many already recognized the differences in landforms that exist between the continents such as the Appalachian Mountains in North America and the Central European Hercynian Mountains. Wegener proposed the hypothesis of continental drift to explain the similarities of the geological characteristics between the two continents. This he called the ‘puzzle fit,’ which was further supported by his observations that the rocky coasts of Africa and South America looked like they had once fit together, thus providing the evidence for his theory.
Who Discovered Continental Drift?
The first proposal of continental drift was made by German scientist Alfred Wegener in 1912, after he noted a number of geological features that appeared to support the idea. Wegener’s ideas were initially received with great skepticism by his peers and were not fully accepted until the mid-1950s. However, due to the work and contributions of various geologists and geophysicists, such as Harry Hess, the theory of plate tectonics emerged in the 1960s, which further supported and explained the idea of continental drift.
Wegener’s Theory of Continental Drift
Wegener suggested that continental drift was caused by the movement of Earth’s plates, which are large sections of the Earth’s surface, made up of solid lithospheric plates and several outermost layers. Wegener suggested that the forces that moved the continents consisted of internal forces, such as convection currents in the Earth’s mantle, and external forces, such as oceanic lithosphere currents. He further hypothesized that drifting of the landmasses caused the separation and unification of the continents, as evidenced by the distribution of floras and faunas and the presence of ancient glacial deposits typical of certain regions.
Impacts of Continental Drift
Continental drift affects the Earth in many ways, from the surface shape of the planet to its climate and atmosphere. Through the movement of Earth’s plates and the shifting of tectonic boundaries, the phenomenon of continental drift can create mountain ranges, cause earthquakes and volcanoes, open and close ocean basins and consequently, cause major changes in Earth’s climate, such as the Ice Ages.
Since the first proposal of the concept of continental drift in 1912 by Alfred Wegener, many have contributed to the development of the theory, from gathering and analyzing evidence to understanding the implications of its impacts. The idea of continent drift is one of the essential tenets of plate tectonic theory and is an important part of the ever-changing face of our planet. With more understanding of the theories and ideas behind continental drift, we can further appreciate the significance of plate tectonics in Earth’s history.
