The Theory of Continental Drift Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Theory of Continental Drift - Research Paper ExampleHe alike argued that unmingleds emerged from a super unspotted referred as Pangaea. The glacial till deposits found at the southern hemisphere indicated glacier drift. This was seen with the continents closely fitted together with motion from southern Africa and couplingern Australia. The presence of the glacier with the stationery continents, would have only meant that the continent would have been full of ice which was not the case. The only logical argument was that there was continental drift or the movement of the poles. Scientists also supported Alfreds theory of continental drift by coming up with their own arguments to support the theory. Paleomagnetism, which occurs when magnetized minerals of the body politic formed from the cool down of magma on the earth surface, aligns with the earths magnetic field. Rocks with different magnetization from that of the earths surface did not agree with their position on the ea rths surface. This resulted to movement of the magnetic poles. Paleomagnetic data was evident in North America and Europe. According to (Hess, 1960, p 7) Not only were the continents moving, but the sea foundation was also moving. Hess argued that, the movement of the sea floor in a belt fashion explains how the young rocks were found at the mid ocean ridges. This rocks also had magnetic properties. The mantle convention is the movement of the sea floor. ... Evidence presented initially did not make any sense and seemed farfetched. Wegeners hypothesis in general is of the footloose type, in that it takes considerable liberty with our globe, and is less bound by restrictions or tied down by awkward, ugly facts than most of its rival theories. (McGeary 1999 p.5). The major hassle being that Alfred could not provide them with convincing evidence to support his theory. Alfreds argument that continents were in motion like icebreakers plowing through sheets of ice, and that centrifugal, tidal forces ar the ones that caused them to move was opposed by scientists who calculated that, forces strong enough to move this continents would stop the earth from rotating in less than one year. Wegeners incorrect predictions, stating that, North America and Europe were moving 250cm apart every year. Alexander Du Toit, a South African geologist, supported it for the close similarities of fossil and strata between Africa and South America. in that respect was support awarded to Wegener but only after his death though most of the geologists still believed in static continents. Later most Plate tectonics were widely accepted by most geologists (1960). Wegeners theory of the of the conventional drift was of the idea that, the mantle under the earths crust would experience caloric convention and the convention currents would move resulting to an upwelling under the earths crust, forcing it to cecede and move. The hypothesis asserting that the earth crust comprises of lighter ro cks resting on heavier ones, resembles that of icebergs floating on water. Wegener argues that, positions of the continents are not rigidly fixed, but move slowly. According to the