Whose theory proposed continental drift?
Quick Answer
Alfred Wegener proposed the theory of continental drift. He presented it in 1912 and expanded it in his 1915 book The Origin of Continents and Oceans.
The Full Story
Alfred Wegener, a German meteorologist and geophysicist, proposed that continents were once joined in a single supercontinent and later drifted apart. He first presented the idea in 1912 and published it in more detail in 1915. Wegener pointed to matching coastlines, fossils, and rock formations on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean. His idea was controversial at the time because he could not explain the driving force. Decades later, plate tectonics provided the mechanism that confirmed his insight.
Key Facts
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Suggested video title for this topic:
"The rejected idea that became geology’s biggest breakthrough—continental drift."