Continental Drift

Continental Drift brings together within one volume a discussion of the geophysical evidence relating to horizontal movements in the earth's crust in its widest sense. This is not the time for a reappraisal of the work of German meteorologist Alfred Wegener, but it is hoped that this volume will stimulate a serious interest in a subject formerly considered by many earth scientists as already closed. The book contains 12 chapters and begins with a discussion of paleomagnetic evidence for continental drift and its geophysical cause. This is followed by separate chapters on of paleoclimatic evidence on the paleomagnetic latitudes given by paleomagnetism; studies of earthquake mechanism; movements on major transcurrent faults; and magnetic evidence for horizontal displacements in the floor of the Pacific Ocean. Subsequent chapters deal with thermal convection in the earth's mantle; the theory of convection in spherical shells and its application to the problem of thermal convection in the earth's mantle; mountain-building hypotheses; and investigations of the deep-sea floor.