Continental drift orogeny at the boundaries of convection cells. By 1967, barely two decades after discovery of the mid-oceanic rifts, and a decade after discovery of the striping, plate tectonics had become axiomatic to modern geophysics. In addition, Marie Tharp, in collaboration with Bruce Heezen, (who initially ridiculed Marie's observations that her maps confirmed continental drift theory), provided essential corroboration, using her skills in cartography and seismographic data, to confirm the theory. Evidence for the movement of continents on tectonic plates is now extensive. Similar plant and animal fossils are found around the shores of different continents, suggesting that they were once
Continental drift what is the nature of the forces propelling the plates? The British geologist Arthur Holmes championed the theory of continental drift at a time when it was deeply unfashionable. He proposed in 1931 that the Earth's mantle contained convection cells which dissipated radioactive heat and moved the crust at the surface. His "Principles of Physical Geology", ending with a chapter on continental drift, was published in 1944. Geological maps of the time showed huge land bridges spanning the Atlantic and Indian oceans to account for the similarities of fauna and flora and the divisions of the Asian continent in the