{"product_id":"a-symposium-of-continental-drift","title":"A Symposium on Continental Drift — The Royal Society (1965)","description":"\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOrganized by \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eP. M. S. Blackett, Sir Edward Bullard and S. K. Runcorn\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublished by the Royal Society in 1965, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA Symposium on Continental Drift\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e documents a pivotal moment in the history of geology: the accumulation of evidence that helped transform continental drift from a disputed hypothesis into the foundation of modern \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eplate tectonics\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe volume grew from a major Royal Society symposium held in London in March 1964. Scientists assembled evidence from paleomagnetism, geology, oceanography, geophysics, mantle convection and the structure of the ocean floor to address a question that had remained controversial since Alfred Wegener proposed continental drift decades earlier: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDo the continents actually move?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAmong the volume's most historically significant papers is \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSir Edward Bullard, J. E. Everett and A. Gilbert Smith's “The Fit of the Continents Around the Atlantic.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Using numerical methods and computer calculations, the researchers reconstructed the continents using their submerged continental margins rather than modern coastlines. The resulting reconstruction—now commonly known as the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBullard fit\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e—provided striking quantitative evidence that the Atlantic continents had once been joined.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe contributors read like a roster of scientists involved in the emerging plate-tectonic revolution. In addition to Bullard and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eS. K. Runcorn\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, the volume includes work by \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMarie Tharp and Bruce Heezen\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e on the tectonic fabric of the Atlantic and Indian oceans, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJ. Tuzo Wilson\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e on evidence for movement within the Earth, H. W. Menard on the global mid-ocean ridge system, and numerous other leading geologists and geophysicists.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe symposium's organizers were themselves major figures in twentieth-century science. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePatrick M. S. Blackett\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e was a Nobel Prize-winning physicist who became deeply involved in paleomagnetic research. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eS. K. Runcorn\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e was one of the pioneers who used paleomagnetism to demonstrate relative movement of the continents. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSir Edward Bullard\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e became one of the leading British geophysicists of the twentieth century and played an important role in establishing quantitative evidence for continental drift.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe timing makes this volume particularly remarkable. It appeared in \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1965\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, just before the rapid synthesis of seafloor spreading, transform faults, magnetic anomalies and global seismic observations produced the modern theory of plate tectonics in the late 1960s. It therefore captures the evidence being assembled almost in real time during one of the great scientific revolutions of the twentieth century.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOriginally appearing as \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVolume 258, No. 1088 of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Series A\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, the symposium was also issued separately in this substantial hardcover book form because of the considerable interest generated by the meeting.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTitle:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA Symposium on Continental Drift\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOrganizers:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e P. M. S. Blackett, Sir Edward Bullard \u0026amp; S. K. Runcorn\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e The Royal Society, London\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYear:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 1965\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSeries:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Series A, Vol. 258, No. 1088\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSubject:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Continental Drift \/ Plate Tectonics \/ Geophysics \/ Paleomagnetism \/ History of Geology\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCondition:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Vintage ex-library hardcover in burgundy cloth with gilt spine lettering. Library label and institutional markings are present, with rubbing and general wear consistent with age and institutional use. Interior shows some age-related toning and handling. Fold out maps are in excellent condition. Please refer to photographs for exact condition.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn important primary-source artifact from the birth of modern plate tectonics, bringing together many of the scientists and observations that fundamentally changed our understanding of the Earth.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Stemcell Science Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51038292869405,"sku":"AS-4921","price":95.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0059\/0158\/2449\/files\/IMG_7486.jpg?v=1787262126","url":"https:\/\/stemcell.eco\/products\/a-symposium-of-continental-drift","provider":"Stemcell Science Shop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}