The Theory of a Supercontinent and the Cold War Discovery That Proved It
In The Theory of a Supercontinent and the Cold War Discovery That Proved It, narrator Michael Mosley shares how German meteorologist Alfred Wegener proposed a radical new theory — that all of the continents had once fit together as one supercontinent that he called Pangaea. It wasn’t until the Cold War that the oceans were mapped, and scientists discovered the interlocking plates of the seafloor that could provide evidence for Wegener’s theory. This video is excerpted from BBC's The Story of Science, in which Michael Mosley takes an informative and ambitious journey exploring how the evolution of scientific understanding is intimately interwoven with society's historical path.
Michael Mosley takes an informative and ambitious journey exploring how the evolution of scientific understanding is intimately interwoven with society's historical path. Learn more.
Lesson Express
Q: What was Alfred Wegener's radical new theory about Earth's continents? Why did it initially lack support from many scientists?
A: Wegener proposed that Earth's continents had once been joined together as one supercontinent called Pangaea and had slowly moved apart over time. Wegener had evidence that the continents had once fit together, but the evidence wasn’t significant enough to explain what force or mechanism caused the continents to move.
Q: Why was mapping the ocean floor important to scientists?
A: Mapping the ocean floor revealed features such as mountain ranges, deep valleys, and volcanoes, as well as evidence of Earth's moving tectonic plates.
Q: How did the discovery of the seafloor's features provide evidence for Wegener's ideas?
A: The discoveries showed that Earth's surface was not fixed. The movement and structure of the seafloor provided evidence that could help explain how continents move.