Die Entstehung der Kontinente und Ozeane

The work advances a hypothesis that large-scale horizontal movements of continental masses account for the present arrangement of land and sea. It examines and rejects competing ideas such as global shrinkage and temporary land bridges while applying isostatic principles to explain elevation and sediment patterns. Detailed treatment of ocean-floor observations, volcanic and magnetic data, and sediment distribution distinguishes oceanic from continental domains. Geophysical discussion outlines compositional and thermal layering of the lithosphere and proposes mechanical processes for rifting, folding, and margin development. Reconstructions of past continental configurations and paleoclimatic indicators are used throughout to test the hypothesis and address contemporary objections.