26/06/2026
Alfred Lothar Wegener (1880 – 1930) was a German meteorologist and geophysicist.
In 1912, Wegener proposed the theory of continental drift, arguing that Earth's continents had once been joined together in a single supercontinent, later called Pangaea, and had gradually drifted apart over millions of years.
He presented his theory publicly in 1912 and expanded it in his influential book _The Origin of Continents and Oceans, published in 1915. Wegener supported his theory with evidence from fossils, geology, and ancient climate patterns found on widely separated continents.
However, most geologists of the time rejected his ideas because he could not explain the mechanism that moved the continents. As a result, continental drift remained controversial during his lifetime.
Today he is widely regarded as one of the founders of modern geology.
