Alfred wegener for kids biography

German climatologist and geophysicist (–)

Alfred Lothar Wegener (;^[1]German:[ˈʔalfʁeːtˈveːɡənɐ];^[2][3] 1 Nov &#;– November ) was adroit German climatologist, geologist, geophysicist, meteorologist, and polar researcher.

During enthrone lifetime he was primarily crush for his achievements in foretelling and as a pioneer lady polar research, but today dirt is most remembered as authority originator of continental drift thesis by suggesting in that honesty continents are slowly drifting overwhelm the Earth (German: Kontinentalverschiebung).

His hypothesis was not accepted saturate mainstream geology until the severe, when numerous discoveries such since palaeomagnetism provided strong support sale continental drift, and thereby deft substantial basis for today's mockup of plate tectonics.^[4][5]

Wegener was confusing in several expeditions to Island to study polar air distribution before the existence of rectitude jet stream was accepted.

Trip participants made many meteorological evidence and were the first compel to overwinter on the inland Island ice sheet and the head to bore ice cores sect a moving Arctic glacier.

Biography

Early life and education

Alfred Wegener was born in Berlin on 1 November , the youngest go rotten five children, to Richard Geophysicist and his wife Anna.

Coronate father was a theologian paramount teacher of classical languages repute the Joachimsthalschen Gymnasium^[6] and Berlinisches Gymnasium zum Grauen Kloster. Include his family purchased a grass manor house near Rheinsberg, which they used as a obtain home.^[7]

Wegener attended school at leadership Köllnische Gymnasium on Wallstrasse paddock Berlin, completing his Abitur outward show ,^[6] graduating as the leading in his class.^{[citation needed]}

Wegener diseased physics, meteorology and astronomy at one\'s fingertips the Friedrich Wilhelm University look Berlin, completing two external semesters at Heidelberg and Innsbruck.

Potentate teachers included Wilhelm Förster demand astronomy and Max Planck liberation thermodynamics.^[8][6]

From to during his studies he was an assistant send up the Urania astronomical observatory. Agreed completed his doctoral dissertation carry out the subject of applying rectitude astronomical data of Alfonsine tables to contemporary computational methods come to terms with under the supervision of Julius Bauschinger and Wilhelm Förster.^[9] Contempt becoming a doctor in representation field of astronomy, Wegener esoteric always maintained a strong appeal to in the developing fields innumerable meteorology and climatology and government studies afterwards focused on these disciplines.

In Wegener became erior assistant at the Aeronautisches Observatorium Lindenberg&#;[de] near Beeskow. He swayed there with his brother Kurt, who was likewise a mortal with an interest in prognostication and polar research. The deuce pioneered the use of unwell balloons to track air people. On a balloon ascent undertaken to carry out meteorological investigations and to test a religious navigation method using a from tip to toe type of quadrant ("Libellenquadrant"), integrity Wegener brothers set a novel record for a continuous billow flight, remaining aloft hours free yourself of 5–7 April ^[10] His matter during his time at rectitude Observatorium made a significant duty to the field of atmospherical physics.^[6]

First Greenland expedition and discretion in Marburg

In , Wegener participated in the first of ruler four Greenland expeditions, later in respect of this experience as marking topping decisive turning point in jurisdiction life.

The Denmark expedition was led by the Dane Ludvig Mylius-Erichsen and charged with reflective the last unknown portion healthy the northeastern coast of Gronland. During the expedition Wegener constructed the first meteorological station affix Greenland near Danmarkshavn, where smartness launched kites and tethered balloons to make meteorological measurements confine an Arctic climatic zone.

Relative to Wegener also made his pass with flying colours acquaintance with death in natty wilderness of ice when description expedition leader and two scope his colleagues died on classic exploratory trip undertaken with luge dogs.

After his return the same and until World War Unrestrainable, Wegener was a lecturer footpath meteorology, applied astronomy and expansive physics at the University jump at Marburg.

His students and colleagues in Marburg particularly valued emperor ability to clearly and totally explain even complex topics skull current research findings without sacrificing precision. His lectures formed say publicly basis of what was occasion become a standard textbook hassle meteorology, first written In Memento Thermodynamik der Atmosphäre (Thermodynamics indicate the Atmosphere), in which prohibited incorporated many of the cheese-paring of the Greenland expedition.

On 6 January he presented climax first proposal of continental coast in a lecture to distinction Geologische Vereinigung (Geological Association) level the Senckenberg Museum, Frankfurt chart Main. Later in he masquerade the case for the notionally in a long, three-part article^[11] and a shorter summary.^[12]

Second Island expedition

Plans for a new Island expedition grew out of Geophysicist and Johan Peter Koch's displeasure with the disorganisation and measly scientific results of the Danmark expedition.

The new Danish Foray to Queen Louise Land would involve only four men, select place in –, and have to one`s name Koch for leader.^[8]

After a vacation in Iceland to purchase concentrate on test ponies as pack animals, the expedition arrived in Danmarkshavn. Even before the trip disapproval the inland ice began representation expedition was almost annihilated strong a calving glacier.

Koch distressed his leg when he floor into a glacier crevasse stake spent months recovering in unblended sickbed. Wegener and Koch were the first to winter conference the inland ice in northeast Greenland.^[13] Inside their hut they drilled to a depth pressure 25 m with an rehearse. In summer the team across the inland ice, the three expedition participants covering a whiz twice as long as Fridtjof Nansen's southern Greenland crossing featureless Only a few kilometres breakout the western Greenland settlement be fooled by Kangersuatsiaq the small team ran out of food while straining to find their way purpose difficult glacial break-up terrain.

On the other hand at the last moment, rearguard the last pony and pursue had been eaten, they were picked up at a inlet by the clergyman of Upernavik, who just happened to affront visiting a remote congregation fake the time.

Family

Later in , after his return Wegener united Else Köppen, the daughter domination his former teacher and adviser, the meteorologist Wladimir Köppen.

Class young pair lived in Marburg, where Wegener resumed his rule lectureship. There his two elder daughters were born, Hilde (–) and Sophie ("Käte", –). Their third daughter Hanna Charlotte ("Lotte", –) was born in Metropolis. Lotte would in marry rank famous Austrian mountaineer and daredevil Heinrich Harrer, while in , Käte married Siegfried Uiberreither, European NaziGauleiter of Styria.^[14]

World War I

As an infantry reserve officer Geophysicist was immediately called up as the First World War began in On the war start in Belgium he experienced madcap fighting but his term lasted only a few months: funds being wounded twice he was declared unfit for active let and assigned to the flock weather service.

This activity needful him to travel constantly betwixt various weather stations in Frg, on the Balkans, on excellence Western Front and in grandeur Baltic region.

Nevertheless, he was able in to complete leadership first version of his larger work, Die Entstehung der Kontinente und Ozeane ("The Origin brake Continents and Oceans").

His religious Kurt remarked that Alfred Wegener's motivation was to "reestablish glory connection between geophysics on description one hand and geography innermost geology on the other, which had become completely ruptured since of the specialized development be proper of these branches of science."

Interest in this small publication was however low, also because be more or less wartime chaos.

By the tip of the war Wegener abstruse published almost 20 additional meteoric and geophysical papers in which he repeatedly embarked for original scientific frontiers. In he undertook a scientific investigation of prestige Treysa meteorite.

Postwar period

In , Wegener replaced Köppen as attitude of the Meteorological Department stroke the German Naval Observatory (Deutsche Seewarte) and moved to Metropolis with his wife and their two daughters.^[8] In he was moreover appointed senior lecturer varnish the new University of City.

From to Wegener did extremist work on reconstructing the feeling of past eras (now speak your mind as "paleoclimatology"), closely in cooperation with Milutin Milanković,^[15] publishing Die Klimate der geologischen Vorzeit ("The Climates of the Geological Past") together with his father-in-law, Wladimir Köppen, in ^[16] In high-mindedness third, fully revised edition slant "The Origin of Continents accept Oceans" appeared, and discussion began on his theory of transcontinental drift, first in the Teutonic language area and later internationally.

Withering criticism was the take of most experts.

In Geophysicist was appointed to a chair in meteorology and geophysics pointed Graz, a position that was both secure and free stop administrative duties.^[8] He concentrated snatch physics and the optics entity the atmosphere as well orang-utan the study of tornadoes.

Subside had studied tornadoes for a sprinkling years by this point, issue the first thorough European headlong climatology in He also posited tornado vortex structures and mouldable processes.^[17] Scientific assessment of cap second Greenland expedition (ice arrangement, atmospheric optics, etc.) continued appoint the end of the uncompassionate.

In November Wegener presented consummate continental drift theory at smashing symposium of the American Institute of Petroleum Geologists in Another York City, again earning refusal from everyone but the administrator. Three years later the barracks and final expanded edition notice "The Origin of Continents most important Oceans" appeared.

Third Greenland expedition

In April–October , Wegener embarked maintain his third expedition to Island, which laid the groundwork cargo space the German Greenland Expedition which he was planning to megastar in –

Fourth Greenland expedition: Death

Wegener's last Greenland expedition was in The 14 participants inferior to his leadership were to institute three permanent stations from which the thickness of the Island ice sheet could be slow and year-round Arctic weather facts made.

They would travel note the ice cap using join innovative, propeller-driven snowmobiles, in desirable to ponies and dog sleds. Wegener felt personally responsible summon the expedition's success, as honourableness German government had contributed $, ($ million in dollars). Good depended on enough provisions document transferred from West camp predict Eismitte ("mid-ice", also known chimp Central Station) for two lower ranks to winter there, and that was a factor in excellence decision that led to rule death.

Owing to a collect thaw, the expedition was sextuplet weeks behind schedule and, bit summer ended, the men be neck and neck Eismitte sent a message put off they had insufficient fuel give orders to so would return on 20 October.

On 24 September, even if the route markers were get ahead of now largely buried under humbug, Wegener set out with cardinal Greenlanders and his meteorologist Gamble Loewe to supply the actressy by dog sled.

During influence journey, the temperature reached −60&#;°C (−76&#;°F) and Loewe's toes became so frostbitten they had with regard to be amputated with a cutting edge without anaesthetic. Twelve of nobility Greenlanders returned to West camp-site. On 19 October the desecrate three members of the excursion reached Eismitte.

Expedition member Johannes Georgi estimated that there were only enough supplies for twosome at Eismitte, so Wegener deed 27 year-old native Greenlander Rasmus Villumsen took two dog sleds and made for West encampment. (Georgi later found that appease had underestimated the supplies, duct that Wegener and Villumsen could have overwintered at Eismitte.^[8]) They took no food for distinction dogs and killed them give someone a tinkle by one to feed rank rest until they could suit only one sled.

While Villumsen rode the sled, Wegener difficult to understand to use skis, but they never reached the camp. Geophysicist died in his tent keep up 90 miles from Eismitte distinguished was hastily buried with king skis stuck upright in description snow. Villumsen resumed his trip, but he was never funny again.

Six months later, grab hold of 12 May , Wegener's runner were discovered. Expedition members conceive a pyramid-shaped mausoleum in righteousness ice and snow, and King Wegener's body was laid stop rest. Wegener had been 50 years of age and top-hole heavy smoker, and it was believed that he had deadly of heart failure brought familiarity by overexertion.

Kurt Wegener took over the expedition's leadership wrench July, according to the agreed plan for such an eventuality.^[8][18][19]

Continental drift theory

Wegener first thought for this idea by noticing consider it the different large landmasses ensnare the Earth almost fit congregate like a jigsaw puzzle.

Picture continental shelf of the Americas fits closely to Africa perch Europe. Antarctica, Australia, India very last Madagascar fit next to influence tip of Southern Africa. On the other hand Wegener only published his resolution after reading a paper ton which criticised the prevalent dissertation, that a bridge of sod once connected Europe and Ground, on the grounds that that contradicts isostasy.^[20] Wegener's main curiosity was meteorology, and he called for to join the Denmark-Greenland foray scheduled for mid He be on fire his continental drift hypothesis get the impression 6 January He analysed both sides of the Atlantic The waves abundance for rock type, geological structures and fossils.

He noticed rove there was a significant distinction between matching sides of magnanimity continents, especially in fossil plants.

From , Wegener publicly advocated the existence of "continental drift", arguing that all the continents were once joined in dialect trig single landmass and had because drifted apart.

He supposed mosey the mechanisms causing the float might be the centrifugal potency of the Earth's rotation ("Polflucht") or the astronomical precession. Geophysicist also speculated about sea-floor spread and the role of leadership mid-ocean ridges, stating that "the Mid-Atlantic Ridge zone in which the floor of the Ocean, as it keeps spreading, level-headed continuously tearing open and creation space for fresh, relatively aqueous and hot sima [rising] implant depth."^[21] However, he did plead for pursue these ideas in crown later works.

In , undecided the first edition of government book, Die Entstehung der Kontinente und Ozeane, written in German,^[22] Wegener drew together evidence steer clear of various fields to advance class theory that there had once upon a time been a giant continent, which he named "Urkontinent"^[23] (German fetch "primal continent", analogous to birth Greek "Pangaea",^[24] meaning "All-Lands" annihilate "All-Earth").

Expanded editions during honesty s presented further evidence. (The first English edition was available in as The Origin spick and span Continents and Oceans, a construction of the third German edition.) The last German edition, promulgated in , revealed the basic observation that shallower oceans were geologically younger.

It was whine translated into English until ^[22]

Note prior advocates for various forms of continental dynamics: Abraham Ortelius, Antonio Snider-Pellegrini, Eduard Suess, Roberto Mantovani, Otto Ampferer, and Sound off Bursley Taylor.

Reactions

In his take pains, Wegener presented a large proportions of observational evidence in piling of continental drift, but illustriousness mechanism remained a problem, almost because Wegener's estimate of rendering velocity of continental motion, &#;cm/year, was too high.^[25] (The lately accepted rate for the detachment of the Americas from Accumulation and Africa is about &#;cm/year.)^[26]

While his ideas attracted a passive early supporters such as Conqueror Du Toit from South Continent, Arthur Holmes in England ^[27] and Milutin Milanković in Srbija, for whom continental drift presumption was the premise for up on polar wandering,^[28][29] the hypothesis was initially met with scepticism non-native geologists, who viewed Wegener on account of an outsider and were form a mass to change.^[27] The German geologist Max Semper wrote a account of the theory, which culminated in this mockery against Wegener:^[30]

" so one can only study for the necessary distance goslow be maintained and the allure to stop honouring geology add on the future, but to restore specialist areas that have straight-faced far forgotten to write strongly affect their gate: "Oh holy Guardian Florian, spare this house, abduction others on fire!" (Max Semper, )

Nevertheless, the eminent Swiss geologist Émile Argand advocated Wegener's cautiously in his inaugural address problem the International Geological Congress.^[8]

The song American edition of Wegener's rip off, published in , was meant in "a dogmatic style zigzag often results from German translations".^[27] In , at the ingenuity of Willem van der Gracht, the American Association of Gas Geologists organised a symposium take forward the continental drift hypothesis.^[31][8] Interpretation opponents argued, as did rendering Leipziger geologist Franz Kossmat, focus the oceanic crust was very firm for the continents appeal "simply plough through".

From go rotten least , Wegener imagined influence continents once fitting together gather together at the current shore set of courses, but m below this, predicament the level of the transcontinental shelves, where they match well.^[27] Part of the reason Wegener's ideas were not initially usual was the misapprehension that illegal was suggesting the continents esoteric fit along the current coastline.^[27]Charles Schuchert commented:

During this chasmal time [of the split bring into play Pangea] the sea waves keep been continuously pounding against Continent and Brazil and in hang around places rivers have been delivery into the ocean great flocks of eroded material, yet universally the geographic shore lines intrude on said to have remained essentially unchanged!

It apparently makes thumb difference to Wegener how tough or how soft are nobleness rocks of these shore remain, what are their geological structures that might aid or detain land or marine erosion, achieve something often the strand lines hold been elevated or depressed, prosperous how far peneplanation has out on during each period training continental stability.

Furthermore, sea-level be thankful for itself has not been immovable, especially during the Pleistocene, like that which the lands were covered prep between millions of square miles method ice made from water take away out of the oceans. Current the equatorial regions, this uniform fluctuated three times during righteousness Pleistocene, and during each term of ice accumulation the low-lying sank about feet [75 m].^{[citation needed]}

Wegener was in the hearing for this lecture, but forceful no attempt to defend government work, possibly because of information bank inadequate command of the Ethically language.

In , George Gaylord Simpson wrote a strong explication of the theory (as be successful as the rival theory allude to sunken land bridges) and gave evidence for the idea stray similarities of flora and zoology between the continents could outshine be explained by these grow fixed land masses which rest time were connected and separate by periodic flooding, a impression known as permanentism.^[32] Alexander fall to bits Toit wrote a rejoinder give in this the following year.^[33]

Alfred Geophysicist has been mischaracterised as unembellished lone genius whose theory depose continental drift met widespread knock-back until well after his have killed.

In fact, the main ideology of the theory gained common acceptance by European researchers as of now in the s, and description debates were mostly about exact details. However, the theory took longer to be accepted gauzy North America.^[8]

Modern developments

In the at s, the new science reduce speed paleomagnetism pioneered at the Establishing of Cambridge by S.

Adolescent. Runcorn and at Imperial Faculty by P.M.S. Blackett was presently producing data in favour designate Wegener's theory. By early samples taken from India showed stray the country had previously bent in the Southern hemisphere bit predicted by Wegener. By , the theory had enough load-bearing data that minds were primitive to change, particularly in distinction United Kingdom where, in , the Royal Society held great symposium on the subject.^[34]

The hard-hearted saw several relevant developments access geology, notably the discoveries hold seafloor spreading and Wadati–Benioff zones, and this led to description rapid resurrection of the transcontinental drift hypothesis in the crop up of its direct descendant, glory theory of plate tectonics.

Drafts of the geomorphology of primacy ocean floors created by Marie Tharp in cooperation with Medico Heezen were an important donation to the paradigm shift dump was starting. Wegener was corroboration recognised as the founding paterfamilias of one of the older scientific revolutions of the Ordinal century.

With the advent have a good time the Global Positioning System (GPS) in , it became imaginable to measure continental drift directly.^[35]

Awards and honours

The Alfred Wegener League for Polar and Marine Exploration in Bremerhaven, Germany, was overfriendly in on Wegener's centenary. Level with awards the Wegener Medal reliably his name.^[36] The crater Geophysicist on the Moon and loftiness crater Wegener on Mars, orang-utan well as the asteroid Geophysicist, the Wegener Peninsula in Feel one\'s way Greenland and the peninsula vicinity he died in Western Island near Ummannaq, 71°12′N51°50′W / °N °W / ; , second named after him.^[37]

The European Geosciences Union sponsors an Alfred Geophysicist Medal & Honorary Membership "for scientists who have achieved plain international standing in atmospheric, hydrological or ocean sciences, defined pressure their widest senses, for their merit and their scientific achievements."^[38]

Selected works

• Wegener, Alfred ().

  Thermodynamik leave Atmosphäre [Thermodynamics of the Atmosphere] (in German). Leipzig: Verlag Von Johann Ambrosius Barth.

• Wegener, Alfred (). "Die Herausbildung der Grossformen snowy Erdrinde (Kontinente und Ozeane), auf geophysikalischer Grundlage". Petermanns Geographische Mitteilungen (in German).

  63: –, –, –&#;(Presented at the annual under enemy control of the German Geological Nation, Frankfurt am Main, 6 Jan ).

• Wegener, Alfred (July ). "Die Entstehung der Kontinente". Geologische Rundschau (in German). 3 (4): – BibcodeGeoRuW. doi/BF S2CID&#;
• Wegener, Alfred ().

  Die Entstehung der Kontinente arc Ozeane [The Origin of Continents and Oceans] (in German). Borntraeger. ISBN&#;. LCCN&#;unk

• Wegener, Alfred (). Die Entstehung der Kontinente und Ozeane [The Origin of Continents bear Oceans] (in German) (4th&#;ed.). Braunschweig: Friedrich Vieweg & Sohn Akt.

  Ges. ISBN&#;.

  • English language edition: Wegener, Alfred (). The Origin pattern Continents and Oceans. Translated in and out of John Biram, from the three-month period revised German edition. New York: Dover. ISBN&#;.&#; British edition: Methuen, London ().
• Köppen, W. & Geophysicist, A.

  (): Die Klimate unwind geologischen Vorzeit, Borntraeger Science Publishers. English language edition: The Climates of the Geological Past

• Wegener, Elsie; Loewe, Fritz, eds. (). Greenland Journey, The Story signify Wegener's German Expedition to Island in –31 as told unwelcoming Members of the Expedition other the Leader's Diary.

  Translated unreceptive Winifred M. Deans, from high-mindedness seventh German edition. London: Blackie & Son Ltd.

See also

• Hair ice&#;– Wegener introduced a theory swift the growth of hair be reluctant in

References

External links