What did Arthur Holmes discover?
On January 14, 1890, British geologist Arthur Holmes was born. Holmes pioneered the use of radiometric dating of minerals and was the first earth scientist to grasp the mechanical and thermal implications of mantle convection, which led eventually to the acceptance of plate tectonics.
When was Arthur Holmes theory recognized?
In 1913, before even earning his doctoral degree, Holmes proposed the first geological time scale in his book The Age of the Earth, based on the fairly recently discovered phenomenon of radioactivity. Holmes made an estimate of Earth’s age that was far older than anyone had suggested until then—4 billion years.
Who developed the theory of tectonic plates?
Alfred Wegener
The “Father of Plate Tectonics”, Alfred Wegener proposed “Continental Drift” in 1912, but was ridiculed by fellow scientists.
What is convection theory?
Heat energy transfers between a solid and a fluid when there is a temperature difference between the fluid and the solid. This is known as “convection heat transfer”. The temperature of the solid due to an external field such as fluid buoyancy can induce a fluid motion.
How old did Arthur Holmes think the earth was?
1.6 billion years
He estimated the age of the Earth to be 1.6 billion years, far older than was believed at the time. Holmes revised this estimate throughout his life, as measuring techniques improved.
Who is Alfred Wegener And what did he discover?
Alfred Wegener proposed the theory of continental drift – the idea that Earth’s continents move. Despite publishing a large body of compelling fossil and rock evidence for his theory between 1912 and 1929, it was rejected by most other scientists.
What was Alfred Wegener claim?
Continental drift was a theory that explained how continents shift position on Earth’s surface. Set forth in 1912 by Alfred Wegener, a geophysicist and meteorologist, continental drift also explained why look-alike animal and plant fossils, and similar rock formations, are found on different continents.
How did 21 year old Arthur Holmes revolutionize our understanding of the Earth’s history?
He was the first earth scientist to grasp the mechanical and thermal implications of mantle convection, and he widely applied the newly-developed method of radioactive dating to minerals in the first attempt to quantitatively estimate the age of the Earth.
Why did Arthur Holmes modify the idea of Alfred Wegener?
Holmes advocated the theory of continental drift fostered by Alfred Wegener at a time when it was profoundly unfashionable with conformist. Holmes’s hypothesis not only produced a mechanism by which the continents could move, it also provided a probable explanation for continental rifting and mountain formation.
What is the difference between plate tectonics and tectonic plates?
Plate tectonics is a scientific theory that describes the large-scale motion of Earth’s lithosphere. The lateral relative movement of the plates typically varies from zero to 100 mm annually. Tectonic plates are composed of oceanic lithosphere and thicker continental lithosphere, each topped by its own kind of crust.
How old was Arthur Holmes when he graduated?
Arthur Holmes was born in Britain on January 14 th, 1890. His education includes the Gateshead Higher Grade School (later the Gateshead Grammar School) and the Royal College of Science (now Imperial College) where he graduated by the age of 20 in 1910. He was already published for his work as an undergraduate in radiometric dating by the age of 21.
What did Arthur Holmes contribute to the Earth?
English geologist Arthur Holmes made not one but two major contributions to our under-standing of how the Earth works.
What did Arthur Holmes study at Imperial College?
Holmes’ journey of scientific stardom began when he won a scholarship to study physics at the Royal College of Science (later Imperial College). He would eventually switch his focus from physics to geology after he took a geology course but he would use his knowledge of physics to explore the world of geology.
When did Arthur Holmes retire from Edinburgh University?
Here he refounded the department and spent some of his most productive years until he was transferred to the Regius chair of geology at Edinburgh in 1943. He retired in 1956. He was twice married: to Margaret Howe of Gateshead in 1914 and, after her death, to the distinguished petrologist Doris L. Reynolds in 1939.