The development of the plate tectonic theory was one of the great revolutions in the history of science. Before the plate tectonic theory, most scientists believed that Earth was a static planet that never really changed. Working like detectives, a small group of pioneering individuals slowly pieced together an entirely different picture of our Earth, showing that the planet is really a dynamic, active world. Over the course of millions of years, continents collided with each other, oceans opened and closed, and mountains rose and fell—and these changes continue today.Plate Tectonicsexamines the evolution of plate tectonic theory from its beginnings as a wild idea of drifting continents to its acceptance as the main concept that drives geology today. The book also focuses on the lives and achievements of those individuals who fought great odds to give rise to one of the most important theories in science.

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Excerpted from Plate Tectonics by Stephen M. Tomecek
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