Kontinentalverschmelzungen

Kontinentalver is a term used to describe the geological theory of continental drift. This theory proposes that Earth's continents have moved over geologic time relative to each other, thus appearing to have "drifted" across the ocean bed. The concept was first articulated in detail by Alfred Wegener in 1912, who presented evidence from the fossil record, geological formations, and climate data to support his hypothesis.

Wegener observed that the coastlines of continents on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, such as Africa and South America, fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. He also noted the presence of identical fossils of ancient plants and animals on widely separated continents, suggesting they were once connected. Furthermore, evidence of past climates, like glacial deposits found in tropical regions, indicated that continents had shifted their positions relative to the poles.

Despite Wegener's compelling evidence, his theory of continental drift was met with significant skepticism and resistance from the scientific community during his lifetime. The primary obstacle was the lack of a plausible mechanism to explain how continents could move across the seemingly solid Earth's crust. It wasn't until the development of the theory of plate tectonics in the mid-20th century that a comprehensive explanation for continental movement was established, validating Wegener's fundamental idea. Plate tectonics describes the Earth's lithosphere as being broken into large plates that move relative to each other on the asthenosphere.