Question: Scientific breakthroughs do not happen overnight. Sometimes, the missing piece of the scientific puzzle takes years to discover. In 1915, Alfred Wegner proposed the theory of continental drift to explain the past and present location of the continents; however, his ideas were met with resistance because he could not provide a mechanism for such movement.
For this assignment, you will review the history of continental drift and plate tectonics, and you complete the worksheet found here.
Reference
McCoy, A. (2013, January 27). Continents adrift an introduction to continental drift and plate tectonics [Video file].
A good paper should start with background information on the topic to be discussed.Define important terms, and explain why the topic is important to the reader. For this assignment's introduction, answer the questions below.
Describe the process of the scientific method and theory development.Remember, you discussed this in the Phase 1Discussion Board
2. Review what you wrote, and decide if you need to add more detail now that you have progressed in this course.
How does the scientific method help people understand the natural world?
What are the roles of qualitative and quantitative science?
The body of your paper should consist of several paragraphs: one to address each of the main topics of your paper.For this week's assignment, address the following points with at least one paragraph each.
1. Who is Wegner? What was his (qualitative) evidence for continental drift? Why was his idea not accepted?
2. Describe geographic (quantitative) evidence collected in the last part of the 20th century to support the theory of continental drift.
3. Describe how plate tectonics provides the mechanism for continental drift.
4. How do plate tectonics explain natural landforms like the Himalayas and the Ring of Fire in the Pacific Ocean?