Arguments Surrounding The Evidence Of Plate Tectonic Theory

There were many other explanations on how the earth acts the way it does, but scientists don’t have the supporting evidence like the plate tectonic theory has. Plate tectonic theory is the accepted idea in today's studies. Before the 1950’s people had many other idea of how the earth’s geography is formed. An example would include the contracting earth theory. Eliza Richardson stated that the contracting earth theory explained how the earth cooled and contracted, forming mountains and other physical features. (2017) Before scientific evidence that proved the plate tectonic theory, people did not have a good understanding of earth’s geophysics, but today, explanations of continental drift, seafloor spreading, seismology, volcanology, and the

Wegener proposed that the supercontinent, pangea, had slowly drifted away into the separate continents they are today. He came across the prevailing theory, which explained that South America and africa were once connected by a large land-bridge that had sank into the sea millions of years ago. Alfred Wegener defeated this idea by pointing out that continental plates were made of a less dense rock than the denser basaltic rock that makes up the ocean floor. (Hughes, 1994) Continental drift explains how the plate tectonics drifted away from each other and still are today. Oceanic plates are being made and destroyed everyday while the plates move. Alfred Wegener proved this to be true with evidence the continents were once all together forming a

Seismographs are an invention that has been used to detect the time and wave arrival times of seismic waves. Earthquakes often happen in similar locations. These seismographs, created after World War II, are able to detect Body waves and surface waves. When looking at a map of where earthquakes occur, the happen to happen around the same areas, almost creating boundaries. The lines earthquakes create make sense because of plate tectonics. Earthquakes are said to be created by the energy released when two plates cause friction and shoot the energy out to the surface. Reading these waves give scientist even more proof of how the earth works, and these conclusions are more and more supported with inventions like seismographs. Seismology helps us greatly understand the earth and the layers it has. (Britannica Encyclopaedia,