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James Hutton
Created theory's about rock formations and how they formed. He compared layers of rocks. Info from "The evolution of Coninental drift theory's" http://www.timetoast.com/timelines/the-evoulution-of-the-contenintal-drift-theroy
Image from: http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/60900/60973/60973_james_hutton_lg.gif -
Period: to
Evolution of Continental Drift Theorys
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Alfred Lothar Wegener
Wegener was a German scientist. He proposed the theory that all the continents once formed one large supercontinent called Pangea. He said that it had then split apart to form the land masses we have today. Evidence to support him were fossils, rocks, climate, and that the continents fit together like a puzzel. Scientists rejected his theory because he could not explain how the continents moved. Image from: http://www.google.com/imgres?q=pangea+supercontinent&hl=en&sa=X&rlz=1R2TSNO_enUS502&biw -
Arther Holmes
British geologist that proposed the force moving the continents were thermal convection currents in the mantle. Info from "Plate Techtonics timeline" http://www.timetoast.com/timelines/126459
Image from:
http://all-geo.org/highlyallochthonous/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ArthurHolmes.jpg -
Hugo Benioff
American seismologist credited with the first proposal that subduction zones cause deep focus earthquakes. Info from "Plate Techtonics timeline" http://www.timetoast.com/timelines/126459
Image from: http://www.lizzie-hundslev.dk/images/benioff.gif -
Kiyoo Wadati
Japanese seismologist who wrote many papers that influenced goephysics, one of which proved evidence of deep earthquakes. Published first accurate description of inclined zone of deep earthquakes. Info from "Plate Techtonics timeline" http://www.timetoast.com/timelines/126459
Image from: http://www.japan-acad.go.jp/img/about/president/wadati.jpg -
Alexander Du Toit
South African geologist who modified Alfred Lothar Wegener's theory. He said that Pangea was split into two continents instead of one, Gandwana (in the north) and Laurisia (in the south). Du Toit had more evidence than Wegener but his modifications to Wegeners theory were still rejected. Info from "Plate Techtonics timeline" http://www.timetoast.com/timelines/126459
Image from: http://people.wku.edu/charles.smith/chronob/DU_TOIT.jpg -
Robert S. Dietz
Scientist who discovered the first fracture zone in the Pacific Ocean. He created a hypothesis that newly formed crust spreads outward several centimeters per year. Info from "Plate Techtonics timeline" http://www.timetoast.com/timelines/126459
Image from: http://www.aapg.org/explorer/special/dietz.jpg -
Harry H. Hess
Geologist that served in the U.S. Navy during WWII. While going from battle to battle he performed echo-sounding surveys. He found mid-ocean ridges in the middle of every ocean. This gave him the evidence he needed to prove true his hypothesis, a moving sea floor.
Info from: "Plate Techtonics timeline"
Image from: http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Harry+H.+Hess&num=10&hl=en&biw=1366&bih=641&tbm=isch&tbnid=3XmFj9kyX2zfqM:&imgrefurl=http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/do62se.html&docid=hiC0U -
Drummond Matthews and Fred Vine
Matthews and Vine were two Cambridge sientists who wrote a paper called "Magnetic Anomolies Over Ocean Ridges". They proposed that Earth's magnetic feild's polarity had reversed sevearl times in the past. They suggested that lava which had emerged to form new sea floor showed the dirrection of the magnetic field at the time it formed. Info from"Plate Techtonics timeline"
Image from: http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Drummond+Matthews+and+Fred+Vine&hl=en&sa=X&qscrl=1&rlz=1T4TSNO_enUS502US503&biw=1 -
Glomar Challenger
The Glomar Challenger was a ship that drilled in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Ocean, as well as the Mediterranian and Red Sea. It was part of a deep sea drilling project. Its most important discovery was during its third leg when core samples it had taken provided definite proof of continental drift and sea floor renewal at rift zones. Info from: http://www-odp.tamu.edu/glomar.html
Image from: http://www.google.com/imgres?q=glomar+challenger+drill+ship&hl=en&sa=X&qscrl=1&rlz=1T4TSNO_enUS5 -
Dan Mckenzie
Wrote the first paper defining the properties of plate techtonics. Created theory on plate techtonics and mantel convection. Proposed that the lithosphere is made of seven larger plates and several small ones. Info from http://www.timetoast.com/timelines/the-evoulution-of-the-contenintal-drift-theroy
Image from:http://www.google.com/imgres?q=dan+mackenzie+plate+tectonics&hl=en&sa=X&qscrl=1&rlz=1T4TSNO_enUS502US503&biw=1311&bih=615&tbm=isch&tbnid=3mtR-73-fqRNyM:&imgrefurl=http://search.wn.com/%
