Wegner’s Theory of continental drift

Alfred Wegener was a Garman meteorologist but he had profounded continental drift
theory in 1912. Due to First World War and its Garman version this theory was almost
unnoticed. The second edition of the theory came in the English version and it attracted
Worldwide attention. Wegener supported his theory by providing various pieces of
evidence in a scientific manner. Basically, The main problem before Wegener, which
needed an explanation, was related to climatic changes. It may be pointed out that
there are ample evidences which indicates widespread climatic changes throughout the
past history of the earth. In fact, the continental drift theory of Wegener ‘grew out of
the need of explaining the major variations of climate in the past.
Today Antarctic continent has a polar climate which is under cover of thick ice
cover but in past, it was a hot climate. Similarly, there are signs of glaciation in the
Indian peninsula but today India has a tropical climate.
Signs of the carboniferous ice age are also present in South America, Africa, and
Australia. All these land masses have a hot climate today.
The climatic changes which have occurred on the globe may be explained in two ways:
(1) If the continents remained stationary at their places .throughout the geological
history of the earth, the climatic zones might have shifted from one region to another
region and thus a particular region might have experienced varying climatic conditions
from time to time.
(2) If the climatic zones remained stationary, the landmass might have been displaced
and drifted.
Wegener
opted for the second alternative as he rejected the view of the permanency of
continents and ocean basins but he had various evidences to prove the second
possibility. Thus Wegener’s theory was based on the idea of continental drift.

Basic Premise of the Theory

Wegener believed in three layers system of the earth e.g. outer layer of ‘sial’,
intermediate layer of ‘sima’ and the lower layer of nife . According to Wegener sial was
considered to be limited to the continental masses alone whereas the ocean crust was
represented by the upper part of sima. Continents or sialic masses were floating on
sima without any resistance offered by sima. He assumed, on the basis of evidence of
palaeo-climatology. paleontology, palaeobotany, geology and geophysics, that all the
landmasses were united together in the form of one landmass, which he named
Pangaea, in the Carboniferous period. The Pangaea was surrounded by a vast water
body called Panthalasa. 30 crore years ago or in carboniferous era Pangaea had
developed an east-west crack and broken into two landmasses. The northern part of
Pangaea is named as Laurasia and southern part was called as Gondwana. The sea was
originated between the Laurasia and Gondwana was called as Tethys sea. After that
Mesozoic period (11 crore years ago) the both Laurasia and Gondwana landmasses
were braking and formed today’s continents. North America, Europe and Eurasia are the
parts of Laurasia and the continents like South America, Africa and Antarctica made
from Gondwana landmass. Further in tertiary period (6.5 crore years ago) the Antarctica
was braked and present Madagascar, India and Australia have been formed.

Evidence in Support of The Theory

1. Jigsaw Fit- Jigsaw fit is the most significant evidence of this theory. According to
Wegener, there is geographical similarity along both the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean.
Both the opposing coasts of the Atlantic can be fitted together in the same way as two
cut-off pieces of wood can be refitted (jig-saw fit). Today Australia, Africa, and India are
isolated continents but on their coast have similarities that are built-in one another. On
the ground of a jigsaw fit, it is concluded that today’s individual continents are part of
Pangaea. After breaking these continents drifted and got the present position.
2. Geological Evidence- There are common geological facts observed along the
east and west sides of the Atlantic Ocean. The availability of rocks on the continent at
particular places has been identified on another continent which is well fitted to first e.
g. north-western part of Africa and the eastern part of Brazil have the same rock and
that’s are basalts. There are another striking geological correlation on both sides of the
Atlantic Ocean is mountain ranges. The mountain ranges of the Appalachian are
presently found in North America and it also appears in Greenland and Europe with the
same age and type. The same thing is observed on the South American east coast and
African west coastal area.
(3) Fossils Evidences-There is a marked similarity in the fossils and vegetation
remains found on the eastern coast of South America and the western coast of Africa.
(4) Proof of Actual Drift- The actual measurements of the distance between North
America and Greenland in 1823, 1870, and 1917 have indicated that Greenland is
actually drifting towards North America at the rate of 32 meters per year. Similarly,
measurements between England and Greenland in 1873 and 1907 have shown that the
distance between these areas has increased by 35 years.
(5) Lemmings Movement- The lemmings (small-sized animals) of the northern part
of Scandinavia have a tendency to run westward when their population is enormously
increased but they are foundered in the seawater due to the absence of any land
beyond the Norwagian coast. This behavior of lemmings proves the fact that the
landmasses were united in ancient times and the animals used to migrate to far-off
places in the western direction.
(6) Flora Similarity-The distribution of glossopteris flora in India, South Africa,
Australia, Antarctica, Falkland islands, etc. proves the fact that all the landmasses were
previously united and contiguous in the form of Pangaea.
(7) Paleoclimatological Evidences-North-east of the USA, England, and Antarctica
have coal deposits and itself it proves that there was a tropical climate in past but now
the present climate in these lands does not indicate such luxuriant growth of vegetation
because today these continents have a polar climate. The continents like South
America, Africa, India, and Australia have been showing signs of glaciation landforms,
which reveals that the past climate of these lands was polar but now a day’s these
continents have enjoyed a hot desert climate. It can be proven the drifting of continents.
(8) Young Fold Mountains-The North and South America drifts towards the west
and its outcome is the formation of Rocky and Andes. Similar to this Himalaya, and Alps
mountains were formed due to the folding in sediments of the Tethys sea. It shows the
convergence of Laurasia and Gondwana.
(9) Origin of Island Arcs and Festoons- When the Asiatic block was moving
westward the eastern margin couldn't keep pace with the westward moving landmass
forming island arcs and festoons consisting of Japan and the Philippines.
(10) Placer Deposits: Rich placer deposits of gold on the Ghana coast. But there is
no source rock in the region. The gold-bearing veins are in Brazil and it is obvious that
the gold deposits of Ghana are derived from the Brazil plateau when the two continents
lay side by side.

Forces behind the drifting of continents, according to Wegener

According to Wegener, the drift was in two directions:
 1. equator wards due to the interaction of forces of gravity, pole-fleeing force (due
to centrifugal force caused by earth’s rotation) and buoyancy (ship floats in water
due to buoyant force offered by water), and
2. westwards due to tidal currents because of the earth’s motion (the earth rotates
from west to east, so tidal currents act from east to west, according to Wegener).
Wegener suggested that tidal force (gravitational pull of the moon and to a lesser
extent, the sun) also played a major role.
The polar-fleeing force relates to the rotation of the earth. Earth is not a perfect
sphere; it has a bulge at the equator. This bulge is due to the rotation of the earth
(greater centrifugal force at the equator).
The centrifugal force increases as we move toward the equator. This increase in
centrifugal force has led to pole fleeing, according to Wegener.
The tidal force is due to the attraction of the moon and the sun that develops
tides in oceanic waters (tides explained in detail in oceanography).
According to Wegener, these forces would become effective when applied over
many million years, and the drift is continuing.
Process of the Theory
Besides, Wegener also attempted to solve other problems of the earth e.g.the origin of
mountains, island arcs, and festoons, and the origin and evolution of continents and
ocean basins.
(1) Force Responsible for the Drift
(2) Mountain Building
A.G. Wegener also attempted to solve the problem of the origin of folded mountains of
the Tertiary period on the basis of his continental drift theory. The frontal edges of
westward drifting continental blocks of North and South Americas were crumpled and
folded against the resistance of the rocks of the sea floor (sima) and thus the western
Cordilleras of the two Americas (e.g. Rockies and Andes and other mountain chains
associated with them) were formed.
(3) Origin of Island Arcs
Evaluation of the Theory
1. Most scientists have criticized that Wegener did not properly explain the forces
which were utilized for breaking the Pangaea and drifting of the continents. These
scientists are believed that for the breaking of Pangaea there is a need for 1000 times
more power than the present power, but such power does not generate from the origin
of the earth to the present time. If it had such force, it would be stopped the earth’s
rotation. The rotation of the earth is not stopped to date it revealing that such type of
powerful force is not the origin then how it is present to produce the required effects.
2. According to Prof. Hess, the sima layer is formed from the hardened material and
then the sial material. If it is considered that sima is made from soft material and then
the sima. Sial is floating on sima then it happens to a continuous process of changing
the shape of continents and their locations. But neither changes in the shape of the
continents nor their locations.
3. The Wegener suggested the period of continental drift that period was questioned
by a number of scholars. The period, in which the breaking of Pangaea was taking
place, why Pangaea was broken in that particular period, and why Pangaea was not
broken before or after that particular period?
4. Wegener had been supporting his theory with jigsaw fit but many scientists have
found faults with it. Only a few exceptional locations have this jigsaw fit. The recent
studies in such areas present jigsaw fit available more than 500 m depth in the seawater.

It may be concluded that ‘even if all the matter of his theory was rejected but its central
theme of horizontal displacement was retained. In fact, the postulation of plate tectonic
theory after 1960 is the result of the continental drift theory of Wegener. Wegener is,
thus, given credit to have started thinking in this precarious field.