100 years of continental drift

One hundred years ago, Alfred Wegener laid the foundations for the theory of plate tectonics Alfred Wegener (1880–1930) was a leading explorer, geophysicist, and meteorologist from Germany, and pioneer in the exploration of Greenland ( 1 ). His seminal volume of meteorology ( 2 ) is universally considered a fundamental manual for this discipline and was long a reference text for students and specialists. Wegener's preeminent scientific legacy, however, is the continental drift hypothesis. He first presented his thesis to the scientific community on 6 January 1912 at the Geological Society of Frankfurt am Main, but his famous monograph on the subject dates to 1915 ( 3 ).