Alfred Wegener and Marie Tharp
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Questions and Answers

What significant geological feature did Marie Tharp discover in 1953?

  • The Mid-Atlantic Ridge (correct)
  • The Pacific Ring of Fire
  • The San Andreas Fault
  • The Himalayas Mountain Range

    • Which factor was a crucial part of Alfred Wegener's challenges in promoting his theory of continental drift?

  • The absence of detailed maps of tectonic plates
  • The lack of fossil evidence across continents
  • Opposition from renowned geologists of his time
  • Inability to explain the mechanism of continental movement (correct)

    • What role did Marie Tharp’s education play in her contributions to geology?

  • She focused solely on fieldwork without formal education.
  • Her technical drawing skills enabled her to create detailed maps from data. (correct)
  • Her studies in biology provided insights into geological formations.
  • She specialized in environmental science, which limited her geological work.

    • Which evidence emerged in the 1950s-60s that supported the theory of continental drift after Wegener's death?

    <p>Identification of convection currents in the Earth's mantle</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was shared among all continents 300 million years ago?

    <p>They formed a single landmass.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the name of the supercontinent that Alfred Wegener proposed in his theory?

    <p>Pangaea</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which piece of evidence did Wegener NOT use to support his theory of continental drift?

    <p>Fossils of ancient marine creatures</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why was Wegener's theory of continental drift initially met with skepticism by geologists?

    <p>He had no formal training in geology.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which observation did Wegener make about the coastlines of western Africa and eastern South America?

    <p>They resemble a jigsaw puzzle fit.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did Wegener find regarding the fossil record that supported his theory?

    <p>Similar species were found on different continents.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What notable contribution did Wegener make in 1906 while working in Greenland?

    <p>He built the first meteorological station in Greenland.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following statements best describes Wegener's educational background?

    <p>He obtained a PhD in astronomy at Berlin University.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the primary focus of Wegener's research that led him to propose the theory of continental drift?

    <p>The similarities in coastline shapes of continents.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What event interrupted Wegener's academic career during World War I?

    <p>He was drafted into the German army.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following publications did Wegener release in 1915?

    <p>The Origin of Continents and Oceans</p> Signup and view all the answers

    During which expedition did Wegener not return, ultimately leading his brother to complete the journey?

    <p>Fourth expedition to Greenland</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In what capacity did Wegener serve at Graz University starting in 1924?

    <p>Professor of meteorology and geophysics</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What significant evidence did Wegener discover in 1911 that supported his theory of continental drift?

    <p>Fossil evidence showing related species on separate continents</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the primary discovery attributed to Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen?

    <p>X-rays</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following contributions is associated with Ivan Pavlov?

    <p>Development of classical conditioning</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What significant notion did Henri Poincaré introduce related to the solar system?

    <p>Chaos theory</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What model of the atom did J.J. Thomson propose?

    <p>Plum pudding model</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which disease did Kitasato Shibasaburo develop serum therapy for?

    <p>Diphtheria</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What key concept did J.J. Thomson's discovery of electrons help to confirm?

    <p>Existence of isotopes</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In which year did Röntgen receive the first Nobel Prize in Physics?

    <p>1901</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What field did Svante Arrhenius contribute to while being a professor?

    <p>Physical Chemistry</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What phenomenon describes dogs salivating to a bell in Pavlov's experiments?

    <p>Classical conditioning</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What aspect of atomic structure did Thomson's research revolutionize?

    <p>Atomic and electrical theories</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was Annie Jump Cannon primarily known for?

    <p>Classifying stars based on their spectral characteristics</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following contributions is associated with Henrietta Swan Leavitt?

    <p>Discovering over 2,400 variable stars and their luminosity relationships</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What significant discovery is attributed to Harriet Brooks?

    <p>Nuclear decay transforming one element into another</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which aspects of mathematics did Srinivasa Ramanujan primarily focus on?

    <p>Analysis and number theory</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of the Schrödinger equation in physics?

    <p>It describes the evolution of a quantum-mechanical wave function over time</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Ronald Fisher was pivotal in reconciling inconsistencies between which two theories?

    <p>Mendel's laws of inheritance and Darwin's theory of evolution</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What major investigation did Harold Urey and Stanley Miller conduct?

    <p>Simulating early Earth conditions to study organic molecules</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which scientist was the first female nuclear physicist in Canada?

    <p>Harriet Brooks</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Alfred Wegener

    • Meteorologist and Arctic explorer, first to propose theory of continental drift
    • Proposed theory in 1912, published The Origin of Continents and Oceans in 1915
    • Believed continents were once joined in a supercontinent called Pangaea
    • Theory met opposition from geologists - they rejected his idea, citing lack of explanation for why or how continents moved
    • Wegener's theory was supported by:
      • Fossil evidence: fossils of Cynognatus found in South America and Africa
      • Rock formations: similar formations along African and South American coasts
      • Mountain ranges: ancient mountain ranges, now split across continents
      • Glacial deposits: at the equator, supporting idea continents drifted
    • Conducted four expeditions to Greenland, died in Greenland in 1930
    • Theory later proven correct in 1950s-60s with discovery of tectonic plates

    Marie Tharp

    • Geologist and cartographer
    • Created charts of the ocean floor, identified the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, providing evidence for continental drift
    • Work provided significant evidence for continental drift
    • Received limited recognition for discovery of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

    Continental Drift

    • Proposed 250 million years ago, continents were once connected
    • Coastlines of western Africa and eastern South America appear to fit together
    • Wegener found similar species of fossils, rock formations, and mountain ranges on continents now separated
    • Continental drift theory was not widely accepted until the discovery of tectonic plates in the 1950s-60s

    Famous Scientists

    • Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen (1845 – 1923)

      • German physicist, discovered X-rays in 1895
      • Studied mechanics, heat, and electricity.
      • His work led to advances in physics and medicine.

    • Ivan Pavlov (1849 – 1936)

      • Russian-born physiologist, conducted research on digestive secretions in dogs
      • Discovered that dogs learned to associate the arrival of food with the sound of a bell, and eventually salivated just to the sound (classical conditioning).
      • Key contribution is the Conditioned Reflex.
      • He won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work in 1904.

    • Kitasato Shibasaburo (1853 – 1931)

      • Japanese Physician and bacteriologist
      • Developed serum therapy to protect against diphtheria and tetanus.

    • Jules Henri Poincaré (1854 – 1912)

      • Mathematical physicist from France, pioneered the study of chaos theory
      • He focused on stability of the solar system, and discovered that tiny changes in initial conditions could lead to unpredictable changes.
      • His work informed Albert Einstein's theory of relativity

    • J.J.Thomson (1856 – 1940)

      • English physicist, investigated the structure of the atom
      • Identified "corpuscles" (electrons) – particles negatively charged and lighter than a hydrogen atom
      • Proposed the "plum pudding" model of the atom – a positive charge spread across the atom, and electrons were embedded within it
      • Confirmed the existence of isotopes

    • Svante Arrhenius (1859 – 1927)

      • Swedish chemist, conducted research on electrolytes
      • Developed the theory of electrolytic dissociation.

    • Annie Jump Cannon (1863 – 1941)

      • American astronomer
      • Classified stars based on their spectral characteristics
      • Classified over 350,000 stars at Harvard College Observatory

    • Henrietta Swan Leavitt (1868 – 1921)

      • American astronomer - worked at Harvard College Observatory
      • Discovered the period-luminosity relationship for Cepheid variable stars.
      • Discovered over 2,400 variable stars and four novae.

    • Harriet Brooks (1876 – 1933)

      • Canadian nuclear physicist
      • First female nuclear physicist in Canada.
      • Discovered that one element can change into another through nuclear decay (radioactive decay)

    • Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887 – 1920)

      • Indian mathematician, known for his work in mathematical analysis and number theory
      • Developed over 120 mathematical theorems, even though his education was limited.

    • Erwin Schrödinger (1887 – 1961)

      • Austrian physicist known for his work in quantum mechanics
      • Developed the Schrödinger equation, which describes how the wave function of a quantum-mechanical system evolves in time.

    • Ronald Fisher (1890 – 1962)

      • British statistician and geneticist
      • Pioneered the application of statistics to scientific experimentation.

    • Harold Urey and Stanley Miller (1893 – 1981, 1930 – 2007)

      • American chemists, conducted experiments to simulate early Earth conditions.
      • Used hydrogen, methane, and ammonia to create simple, organic molecules in a closed system.

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    Description

    Explore the groundbreaking contributions of Alfred Wegener and Marie Tharp to geology and oceanography. Learn about Wegener's theory of continental drift and how Tharp's mapping of the ocean floor revolutionized our understanding of Earth's tectonic processes. Test your knowledge of these influential figures and their discoveries.

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