3 Questions
What observations led Alfred Wegener to propose the idea of continental drift?
The continents seemed to fit together like a puzzle and fossils of animals found on coasts of different continents also aligned
What term did Alfred Wegener use to refer to the original land mass?
Pangaea
What was the significance of Alfred Wegener's 1912 lecture?
It challenged existing theories about continental drift
Study Notes
Alfred Wegener and Continental Drift
- Observations of fit of continents, similarities in fossil species, and matching of rock formations on different continents led Alfred Wegener to propose the idea of continental drift.
- Wegener used the term "Pangaea" to refer to the original land mass that broke apart to form modern continents.
- Wegener's 1912 lecture was significant because it introduced his theory of continental drift, which challenged the established view of fixed continents and sparked a new area of research in geology.
Learn about Alfred Wegener's 1912 lecture proposing the idea of continental drift, based on the observations of continents fitting together like a puzzle and aligned fossils of animals found on different coasts. Explore the concept of 'Pangea,' meaning 'all land.'
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