Collects eighteen essays on the development of the theory of plate tectonics, covering key concepts, terminology, and the contributions of the scientists who helped develop the model that is today widely accepted in the field.

Product Description: In the early twentieth century, American earth scientists were united in their opposition to the new--and highly radical--notion of continental drift, even going so far as to label the theory "unscientific." Some fifty years later, however, continental drift was heralded as a major scientific breakthrough and today it is accepted as scientific fact...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)