GEOL 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Igneous Rock, Jigsaw Puzzle, Flux Melting
Document Summary
Explain who alfred wegner was and why he was important to modern geology. Outline the evidence used to support continental drift. Outline the evidence used to support plate tectonics. Sketch and explain the different types of plate boundaries. Describe the mechanisms that drive plate tectonics. Alfred wegner: 1915 suggests a new hypothesis, continental drift (frank taylor was technically #first) Similar fossils found on continents that are separated by oceans. Ex: mesosaurus aquatic reptile, fossil only found in black shales of permian age. Mountain belts found on one continent should be similar in age to those in juxtaposed continent. Argued appalachian should match rocks in africa, greenland, british. Ancient ice sheets covered south america, southern africa, india, southern. Continents in northern hemisphere were near the equator. Continents in southern hemisphere were near the south pole (glaciers) Couldn"t figure out why/how the continents moved. Late 1960"s, new science develops continental drift hypothesis,drives toward unifying theory of plate tectonics.
