What did Alfred Wegener theorize?

Alfred Wegener was a German meteorologist. In the early twentieth century (1915), Alfred Wegener created the Continental Drift Theory. Using the Continental Drift Theory, Alfred Wegener proposed that all of the continents were once one large land mass. He called this land mass Pangea (“pan” = all). Alfred Wegener explained that, over time, the continents drifted apart to become the continents of today. Alfred Wegener used the following arguments to support his theory.

1. All the...

Alfred Wegener was a German meteorologist. In the early twentieth century (1915), Alfred Wegener created the Continental Drift Theory. Using the Continental Drift Theory, Alfred Wegener proposed that all of the continents were once one large land mass. He called this land mass Pangea (“pan” = all). Alfred Wegener explained that, over time, the continents drifted apart to become the continents of today. Alfred Wegener used the following arguments to support his theory.

1. All the continents fit together like the pieces of a puzzle.


2. Mountain ridges on different continents match up when the continents are placed together into one large supercontinent. For example, the American Appalachian mountains match up with mountains in Scotland.


3. Similarly, the same fossils are found on complimentary continents of Pangea. For example, the same fossils are found on the coast of Brazil and western Africa.