Geology and Historical Figures Quiz
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Questions and Answers

What significant event occurred shortly after Alfred Wegener's 50th birthday?

  • He became professor of meteorology at Marburg University.
  • He published a groundbreaking paper on continental drift.
  • He was drafted into the German army during World War I.
  • He went on his fourth expedition to Greenland. (correct)

    • Which method did Wegener and his brother Kurt pioneer in their meteorological studies?

  • Utilizing weather balloons to study air movement. (correct)
  • Making weather predictions using barometers.
  • Using drones to capture weather data.
  • Observing ocean currents with buoys.

    • What was one of the main pieces of supporting evidence Wegener discovered for his continental drift theory?

  • Dinosaur fossils found in North America.
  • Geological formations in Antarctica.
  • Similar coastal shapes of Africa and South America. (correct)
  • Fossil evidence from the Moon.

    • What significant military event interrupted Wegener's career?

    <p>His enrollment in the German army.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In which year did Wegener publish his influential book 'The Origin of Continents and Oceans'?

    <p>1915</p> Signup and view all the answers

    At which university did Wegener become a professor of meteorology and geophysics in 1924?

    <p>Graz University</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What method did Wegener primarily use to gather evidence for continental drift?

    <p>Fossil correlation between continents.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the main factor that Annie Jump Cannon contributed to astronomy?

    <p>Pioneering the classification of stars</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How did Henrietta Swan Leavitt's work influence astronomical measurements?

    <p>By establishing a method for measuring distances using variable stars</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was Wegener's professional background before focusing on meteorology?

    <p>He was primarily a geologist.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What unique contribution did Harriet Brooks make to the field of nuclear physics?

    <p>She discovered the process of nuclear decay can change elements</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Srinivasa Ramanujan is best known for his contributions in what areas?

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

    What significant discovery is associated with Erwin Schrödinger's work?

    <p>The wave equation that describes electron behavior</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What critical link in scientific experimentation was established by Ronald Fisher?

    <p>Application of statistics to reconcile Mendel and Darwin</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What experimental setup did Harold Urey and Stanley Miller utilize to explore the origins of life?

    <p>Connected glass flasks simulating early Earth atmosphere</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following statements best describes the primary focus of Leavitt's research?

    <p>Examining the brightness patterns of certain stars</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What notable achievement did Schrödinger accomplish in the field of physics?

    <p>The wave equation for quantum mechanics</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What impact did Fisher's work have on the field of genetics?

    <p>Created statistical methods for analyzing genetic data</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What crucial evidence did Wegener find that supported his theory of continental drift?

    <p>Fossils of Cynognathus on different continents</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the name of the supercontinent proposed by Wegener?

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

    Which evidence did Marie Tharp provide that supported Wegener's theory?

    <p>Mapping of the mid-Atlantic ridge</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What major criticism did geologists have against Wegener's continental drift theory?

    <p>He didn't explain the mechanism of drift.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What led to the revival of interest in Wegener's ideas in the 1950s and 1960s?

    <p>The understanding of tectonic plates and convection currents</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What significant finding did Wilhelm Röntgen make in 1895?

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

    What did Ivan Pavlov's research primarily focus on?

    <p>Animal behavior related to environmental stimuli</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which scientist is known for developing serum therapy against tetanus?

    <p>Kitasato Shibasaburo</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was J.J. Thomson's contribution to atomic theory?

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

    What was a key scientific concept introduced by Henri Poincaré?

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

    What was a critical discovery made by Marie Tharp during World War II?

    <p>The presence of mid-ocean ridges</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did the fossil record reveal about continents' past according to Wegener?

    <p>Fossils were identical across separated continents.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What significant aspect of Earth's geology was revealed in the mid-20th century reinforcing Wegener's theory?

    <p>Molten lava contributes to ocean floor spreading.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What common misconception did many geologists hold about Wegener's professional background?

    <p>He was primarily an amateur scientist.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Alfred Wegener

    • Proposed the theory of continental drift in 1912
    • Found fossil evidence supporting his theory
    • Found the same ancient rock formations on the African and South American coasts
    • Found fragments of an ancient mountain range on unconnected continents
    • Found glacial deposits at the equator

    Continental Drift

    • Theory that continents were once a single landmass called "Pangea"
    • His theory wasn't widely accepted until the 1950s and 1960s

    Pangea

    • Supercontinent
    • Existed around 300 million years ago

    Marie Tharp

    • Geologist and cartographer
    • Charted the ocean floor
    • Discovered the mid-Atlantic rift
    • Her map was powerful evidence supporting continental drift theory

    Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen

    • Discovered X-rays in 1895
    • Awarded the first Nobel Prize in Physics for this discovery in 1901
    • Also made discoveries in mechanics, heat, and electricity

    Ivan Petrovich Pavlov

    • Physiologist researching digestive secretions of dogs
    • Discovered classical or Pavlovian conditioning
    • Won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1904

    Kitasato Shibasaburo

    • Developed serum therapy to protect against tetanus and diphtheria
    • Discovered that injections of his tetanus serum conferred immunity

    Jules Henri Poincaré

    • Mathematical physicist
    • While studying the stability of the solar system, he discovered chaos theory
    • His results showed that even tiny changes could lead to large unpredictable changes

    J. J. Thomson

    • Identified electrons using a cathode ray tube
    • Proposed the plum pudding model of the atom
    • Confirmed the existence of isotopes

    Svante Arrhenius

    • Professor of physics at the University of Stockholm
    • Believed that past ice ages were caused by fewer volcanic eruptions
    • Linked human activity with rising global temperatures

    Annie Jump Cannon

    • Pioneered the classification of stars with her 1901 system
    • Classified over 350,000 stars over 44 years

    Henrietta Swan Leavitt

    • Studied the luminosity of stars
    • Showed that Cepheid variable stars have a regular pattern of brightness
    • Her work was crucial for measuring the distance between Earth and other galaxies

    Harriet Brooks

    • Canada's first female nuclear physicist
    • Studied under J.J. Thomson and Ernest Rutherford
    • Worked in Marie Curie's laboratory
    • Discovered that one element can change into another through nuclear decay

    Srinivasa Ramanujan

    • Made major contributions to mathematical analysis and number theory
    • Invited to Cambridge in 1913
    • Awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in 1916
    • Became the second Indian to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Society

    Erwin Schrödinger

    • Carried out important work in quantum physics
    • Developed the Schrödinger equation that allowed a new understanding of how some particles behave

    Ronald Fisher

    • Pioneered the application of statistics to scientific experimentation
    • Reconciled Charles Darwin's ideas of natural selection with Gregor Mendel's experiments

    Harold Urey and Stanley Miller

    • Simulated early Earth in the laboratory to study the origin of life
    • Showed that simple life-giving, carbon-based compounds could be produced.

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    Description

    Test your knowledge on key contributions in geology and the discovery of continental drift! This quiz covers influential scientists like Alfred Wegener, Marie Tharp, and Wilhelm Röntgen, along with the significant theories of Pangea and oceanic formations. Dive deep into the historical context of their findings and their impacts on modern geology.

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