Table of Contents
What subjects did Alfred Wegener study?
He specialized in astronomy, meteorology, and physics. In 1902, he began a PhD degree in astronomy. He spent a year at Berlin’s famous Urania Observatory, whose purpose was (and still is) to bring astronomy to the public. Alfred Wegener completed his PhD in 1905, age 24.
What field of science did Alfred Wegener earn his PhD Why did he switch to a different field of science What discipline did he switch to?
After 1903 Wegener began to pursue studies in meteorology with Wilhelm von Bezold, including atmospheric thermodynamics. Bezold, then near the end of his career, spoke of the wonderful new opportunities in atmospheric physics for aspiring scientists and Wegener resolved to pursue atmospheric physics as a career.
What is Alfred Wegener most famous for?
Wegener was a German meteorologist, geophysicist and polar researcher. In 1915 he published ‘The Origin of Continents and Oceans’, which outlined his theory of Continental Drift. Wegener was a member of four expeditions to Greenland.
What was Alfred Wegener an expert in?
Alfred Wegener, in full Alfred Lothar Wegener, (born November 1, 1880, Berlin, Germany—died November 1930, Greenland), German meteorologist and geophysicist who formulated the first complete statement of the continental drift hypothesis.
What other things did Alfred Wegener make towards science?
| Alfred Wegener | |
|---|---|
| Alma mater | University of Berlin (Ph.D.) |
| Known for | Continental drift theory |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Meteorology, Geology, Astronomy |
What was the response to Wegener’s hypothesis?
The main problem with Wegener’s hypothesis of Continental Drift was the lack of a mechanism. He did not have an explanation for how the continents moved. His attempt to explain it using tides only made things worse. But both Galileo and Darwin had serious flaws in their theories when they were first presented.
What are the 5 evidences of continental drift theory?
The evidence for continental drift included the fit of the continents; the distribution of ancient fossils, rocks, and mountain ranges; and the locations of ancient climatic zones.
What was the major weakness of Wegener’s theory of continental drift?
A fatal weakness in Wegener’s theory was that it could not satisfactorily answer the most fundamental question raised by his critics: What kind of forces could be strong enough to move such large masses of solid rock over such great distances?
What are the 4 evidences of continental drift?
The four pieces of evidence for the continental drift include continents fitting together like a puzzle, scattering ancient fossils, rocks, mountain ranges, and the old climatic zones’ locations.