Continental

Drift Theory
Hey everyone! Today I will present you Prof. A. Wegeners theory. And what this
theory is about you will know in a few seconds.
Professor Alfred Wegener was a German polar researcher, geophysicist and
meteorologist.
o He was born 1880 in Berlin and died 1930 in Greenland
He published 1912 his theory of the continental drift
This theory says:
o The continents do not stay at place, they drift over the earths surface
o 250 Mio. Years ago there was one big continent called Pangaea
o In little steps this big peace broke down into smaller continents
o Through this, the present-day oceans and continents were formed
o It also says that the present day distribution is not a final condition, the
continents will still move.
His proofs were:
o The coast of west Africa and the coast of brazil are similar in their outer
shape, furthermore you can find for example on both continents the same
fossils of plants and animals and the same mineral deposits -> both
continents has been one
o Geological structures of Europe continue at the other side of the Atlantic,
nearly unchanged
For example the Highlands and Appalachian Mountains
o Fossils of ferns, that love warm places, were found on all southern
continents, also on the Antarctic, therefore this areas were located in
warmer areas.
He used for his proofs all available spectrum of science: geology, meteorology,
seismology, etc.
The evidences proofed the continental drift and the former connection of the
continents
His only, but big problem was that he could not explain why the continents move,
he did not know the movement mechanism
He supposed the cause from outer powers, for example: the continents swim over
the oceans because of the attraction of the moon
Today we know that the continents move because of the convection currents,
what we learned the last time from Yuki


Sentence: Wegeners theory says that the continents drift over the earths surface,
through this the present day oceans and continents were formed. But he could not
find the movement mechanism - the convection currents.