Last Updated on September 27, 2022 by amin
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How was plate tectonics discovered?
The story goes back to 1915 to Alfred Wegener the German polar explorer and meteorologist who we most associate with the idea of continental drift. … And it was these investigations that revealed how plates are made at mid-ocean ridges and destroyed at their margins where they underthrust the continents.
What new technology was used to map the seafloor beginning in the 1940s and 1950s?
Magnetic striping and polar reversals Beginning in the 1950s scientists using magnetic instruments (magnetometers) adapted from airborne devices developed during World War II to detect submarines began recognizing odd magnetic variations across the ocean floor.
Which scientists contributed to the newly developed theory of plate tectonics and how?
Alfred Wegener in Greenland. Plate tectonics is the theory that Earth’s land masses are in constant motion. The realization that Earth’s land masses move was first proposed by Alfred Wegener which he called continental drift. He is shown here at the base camp for Johan Koch’s 1912-1913 Greenland expedition.
Who were the scientists that have contributed to the study of plate tectonics?
Many scientists contributed to the development of plate tectonics. Alfred Wegener laid the foundation of plate movements with his continental drift theory. Harry Hess proposed the theory of seafloor spreading which supported the continental drift theory.
What does plate tectonic theory predict about the distribution of volcanoes and earthquakes?
What does plate tectonic theory predict about the distribution of volcanoes and earthquakes? They should be evenly distributed throughout the earth. They should occur primarily along plate boundaries.
Why does the Earth have plate tectonics?
Earth is the only planet we know of that has plate tectonics. … Too big and its powerful gravitational field squeezes any plates together holding them tightly in place. The conditions also have to be just right: the rocks making up the planet should be not too hot not too cold not too wet and not too dry.
Plate Tectonics Theory Lesson
Why is the theory of plate tectonics was not initially widely accepted?
Answer: Wegener’s work was initially not widely accepted in part due to a lack of detailed evidence. The Earth might have a solid crust and mantle and a liquid core but there seemed to be no way that portions of the crust could move around.
How did plate tectonics start on Earth?
Stable convection cells formed in the mantle and started driving plate movements and subduction and plate tectonics began to shape the Earth’s surface the researchers believe. Since then most new crust has made its way to the surface of the Earth at spreading centers and subduction zones Naeraa said.
How did the scientist realize about the plate tectonics theory to be true?
Evidence from fossils glaciers and complementary coastlines helps reveal how the plates once fit together. Fossils tell us when and where plants and animals once existed. … This distribution of fossils led to theories that the southern continents were once joined in a supercontinent called Gondwana.
Why did Wegener’s theory took decades to be accepted?
Plate tectonics theory was widely accepted by scientists in what decade? because Wegener couldn’t explain how continents moved. You just studied 24 terms!
What are earth’s tectonic plates?
A tectonic plate (also called lithospheric plate) is a massive irregularly shaped slab of solid rock generally composed of both continental and oceanic lithosphere. Plate size can vary greatly from a few hundred to thousands of kilometers across the Pacific and Antarctic Plates are among the largest.
Who developed the plate tectonics theory?
Alfred Wegener
The “Father of Plate Tectonics” Alfred Wegener proposed “Continental Drift” in 1912 but was ridiculed by fellow scientists.See also how many times is jesus mentioned in the koran
What happens when tectonic plates move?
When the plates move they collide or spread apart allowing the very hot molten material called lava to escape from the mantle. When collisions occur they produce mountains deep underwater valleys called trenches and volcanoes. … The Earth is producing “new” crust where two plates are diverging or spreading apart.
About When Did Plate Tectonics Emerge And Become Widely Accepted By Earth Scientists??
His book The Origin of Continents and Oceans published in 1915 is widely accepted as the beginning of modern plate tectonics even if the theory was only widely accepted in a refined version in the 1960s. …
Why did it take so long for scientists to accept the idea of continental drift?
The main reason that Wegener’s hypothesis was not accepted was because he suggested no mechanism for moving the continents. He thought the force of Earth’s spin was sufficient to cause continents to move but geologists knew that rocks are too strong for this to be true.
When did scientists first discover the Mid Atlantic Ridge?
The ridge was discovered during the expedition of HMS Challenger in 1872. A team of scientists on board led by Charles Wyville Thomson discovered a large rise in the middle of the Atlantic while investigating the future location for a transatlantic telegraph cable.
When did the science of plate tectonics begin?
about 3 billion years ago
Many scientists think plate tectonics in one form or another started about 3 billion years ago but some think it was more like 1 billion years ago — or less.May 15 2017
Which changes to the Earth can be explained by plate tectonics?
Which of the earth’s changes can be explained by plate tectonics? … one plate’s crust slides under the crust of another plate movement results in the formation of ocean trenches earthquakes or underwater volcanoes. Divergent plate boundaries. occur when plates begin to pull apart the area is known as a spreading zone …
When and how did scientists figure out the theory of plate tectonics quizlet?
In the mid-1900’s scientists discovered that the rock near oceanic mountain ridges was much younger than the rock further away. This shows that the seafloor actually was spreading away from the ridges. These two discoveries led to the realization that the Earth’s crust is made of tectonic plates.
How is plate tectonics supported by the apparent fit of the continental coastlines?
This apparent fit is due to the fact the continents were once connected and have since moved apart in what has been called continental drift . However we now know that it is not just the continents that move so a more correct term is plate tectonics .
What year was the theory of plate tectonics accepted?
By 1966 most scientists in geology accepted the theory of plate tectonics. The root of this was Alfred Wegener’s 1912 publication of his theory of continental drift which was a controversy in the field through the 1950s.
Why did it take so long for plate tectonics to be accepted?
Without knowing about plate tectonics the theory of continental drift was difficult to support. Another reason why Wegener’s idea was not initially accepted was because of the way he proposed that continents used to fit together.
What was discovered in 1953 using sonar in the middle of the Atlantic ocean?
That was the case in 1953 when a young geologist named Marie Tharp made a map that vindicated the controversial theory of plate tectonics. But Tharp’s discovery of the 10 000-mile-long Mid-Atlantic Ridge*—a find that showed that the sea floor was spreading—was initially dismissed as “girl talk.”
When did Mountains first appear on Earth?
Most scientists agree that the Barberton Greenstone Belt in South Africa is the oldest mountain range on Earth (3.6 billion years old) and it is said that it is possible to deduce the entire geological history of the Earth by examining these uprising mountains in this ancient sea floor area. See also how was an indentured servant different from an enslaved person?
What decade was the continental drift theory accepted by the scientific community because of the discovery of plate tectonics quizlet?
Terms in this set (26) Plate tectonics theory was widely accepted by scientists in what decade? The theory of plate tectonics which was derived from Wegener’s proposal of continental drift in the 1920s was not generally accepted until the 1960s.
PLATE TECTONICS
What do you think is the basic of scientists in dividing Earth’s lithosphere into several plates?
The basis of the scientist in dividing the Earth’s lithosphere into several segments called plates is the distribution of earthquake epicenters location of volcanoes and formation of mountain ranges. All of this geological features that are formed because of plate movement.
How Do We Know Plate Tectonics Is Real?
Introduction to Plate Tectonics
Why is it important for scientists to study plate tectonics?
Plate tectonics explains why and where earthquakes occur. This makes it possible to make predictions about earthquakes. Plate tectonics explains why and where mountains are formed. … This makes Plate tectonics important to the study of geology.
What is the plate tectonics theory all about?
The theory of plate tectonics states that the Earth’s solid outer crust the lithosphere is separated into plates that move over the asthenosphere the molten upper portion of the mantle. Oceanic and continental plates come together spread apart and interact at boundaries all over the planet.
How does plate tectonics influence the characteristics of Earth’s surface?
how does plate tectonics influence the characteristics of earth’s surface? as plates move they combine separate and recombine creating landforms and continents that affect the soil and climate. … by clearing plants from earth’s surface we increase runoff and erosion increase evaporation and reduce transpiration.
When did plate tectonics theory become accepted?
By 1966 most scientists in geology accepted the theory of plate tectonics. The root of this was Alfred Wegener’s 1912 publication of his theory of continental drift which was a controversy in the field through the 1950s.
How did the plate tectonics theory explain the continuous movement of the tectonic plates?
Plate tectonics is the scientific theory explaining the movement of the earth’s crust. … The movement of these tectonic plates is likely caused by convection currents in the molten rock in Earth’s mantle below the crust. Earthquakes and volcanoes are the short-term results of this tectonic movement.
What happened to the lithospheric plate when convection current occur?
Convection currents carry heat from the lower mantle and core to the lithosphere. … As tectonic plates slowly move away from each other heat from the mantle’s convection currents makes the crust more plastic and less dense. The less-dense material rises often forming a mountain or elevated area of the seafloor.
How did plate tectonics begin?
Stable convection cells formed in the mantle and started driving plate movements and subduction and plate tectonics began to shape the Earth’s surface the researchers believe. Since then most new crust has made its way to the surface of the Earth at spreading centers and subduction zones Naeraa said. See also where is gneiss found in the world
What evidence do scientists use to support the continental drift theory?
Answer: The evidence for continental drift included the fit of the continents the distribution of ancient fossils rocks and mountain ranges and the locations of ancient climatic zones.