首页
登录
职称英语
A Scientific Debate: Neptunism vs. Plutonism 1. For modern ge
A Scientific Debate: Neptunism vs. Plutonism 1. For modern ge
游客
2024-01-04
40
管理
问题
A Scientific Debate: Neptunism vs. Plutonism
1. For modern geologists, the question of how rocks are formed has been answered. The processes by which sediments are cemented together to form sedimentary rocks, subterranean magma shoots to the surface to form igneous rocks, and intense heat and pressure transform both of these into metamorphic rocks are well understood. But in the days when geology was just beginning to develop as a separate scientific
discipline
, the origin of Earth’s rocks was the subject of an intense debate. Among the theories circulating around the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries were two primary contenders: Neptunism, posited by the German Abraham Werner, and Plutonism, a theory of James Hutton, a Scottish geologist.
2. To fully understand the debate between Neptunism and Plutonism, it is essential to first examine the broader scientific context in place at the time. Before the nineteenth century, the accepted view of Earth’s history was defined by a concept known as Catastrophism. Its basic
tenets
were that the planet was of a young age and that
its
past was marked by a series of distinct and catastrophic events. In England in particular, this theory was influenced by the belief that a worldwide flood had occurred as described in the Christian Bible.
3. Werner’s theory of Neptunism relied on some of the assumptions inherent in Catastrophism. The word Neptunism comes from the name of the Roman god of the sea, Neptune, as Werner suggested that all of Earth had once been covered by a vast, hot ocean.The waters of this ocean, he said, contained small amounts of diluted minerals. Over time, these ancient waters evaporated and sank lower, and as they disappeared, the minerals remained and fused into crystals to produce the rocks and landmasses visible on Earth’s surface. A series of later catastrophic floods, such as the one reported in the Bible, added more rocks and explained the different rock layers that geologists were beginning to discover around this time.
4. Concurrently, there were many other geologists who were starting to reject the notion of Catastrophism. A Much of the contemporary evidence being collected regarding fossils and the complexity and diversity of geologic formations suggested that the planet was much older than anyone had previously thought,B As a result, the theory of Uniformitarianism was introduced, which stated that Earth’s geologic processes were gradual and unfolding at an incredibly slow rate over an immense timeframe.C Even more important for the field of geology, Uniformitarianism held that those same processes were still occurring. D
5. James Hutton was among the earliest
proponents
of Uniformitarianism, and it greatly informed his theory of Plutonism. Named for the Roman god of the underworld, Pluto, it stated that Earth’s rocks were created through the tremendous heat and force of volcanic activity. Hutton described a continuous cycle by which heat deep within Earth pushed up the land above, creating mountains and volcanoes, and deposited rocks on the surface.
Erosion over time would break down the rocks and transport their sediments to the bottom of the oceans, where they were heated and turned into solid rock once more, and again lifted to the surface by volcanic activity.
This concept of a long, continuous cycle was a clear expression of Uniformitarianism and provided a better explanation for how the geologic complexities of Earth had taken shape.
6. During the first half of the nineteenth century, increasing numbers of scientists adopted Hutton’s views, and today he is often referred to as the "father of geology" Werner’s theory of Neptunism, on the other hand, was dismissed, and Uniformitarianism replaced Catastrophism as the guiding principle of geologic study. Even though Plutonism was later shown to contain many inaccuracies, some of its concepts turned out to be close to the truth. For instance, its descriptions of the volcanic uplift of the crust and the continuous recycling of rock fit well with the modern theory of plate tectonics. Moreover, Hutton’s ideas encouraged the development of more accurate methods for determining the age of rocks, such as radiocarbon dating, by which geologists have been able to confirm that Earth’s history stretches back billions of years. [br] The word its in the passage refers to
选项
A、Catastrophism.
B、planet.
C、England.
D、theory.
答案
B
解析
转载请注明原文地址:https://tihaiku.com/zcyy/3333876.html
相关试题推荐
AScientificDebate:Neptunismvs.Plutonism1.Formodernge
AScientificDebate:Neptunismvs.Plutonism1.Formodernge
AScientificDebate:Neptunismvs.Plutonism1.Formodernge
AScientificDebate:Neptunismvs.Plutonism1.Formodernge
AScientificDebate:Neptunismvs.Plutonism1.Formodernge
AScientificDebate:Neptunismvs.Plutonism1.Formodernge
AScientificDebate:Neptunismvs.Plutonism1.Formodernge
AScientificDebate:Neptunismvs.Plutonism1.Formodernge
AScientificDebate:Neptunismvs.Plutonism1.Formodernge
PhilosophyofLogicalAnalysisModernphysicsandphysiologythr
随机试题
Gettysburgwasthe______ofthemostimportantbattleinAmericanCivilWar.A、sce
Youmayhavewonderedwhythesupermarketsareallthesame.Itisnotbecau
Afriendofmine,inresponsetoaconversationwewerehavingabouttheinj
下列关于金融机构风险压力测试的说法,正确的有()。 Ⅰ需要对风险计量模型中的
对维生素K的药理作用的叙述正确的是A.激活腺苷酸环化酶 B.影响维生素的合成
影响片剂成型的因素不包括A:原辅料性质 B:颗粒色泽 C:药物的熔点和结晶状
J95、新投运的断路器的巡视检查周期应相对缩短。投运()小时以后转入正常巡视。
一小型货车站最大容量为50辆车,现有30辆车,已知每小时驶出8辆,驶人10辆,则
三叉神经痛的主要病理表现是A.脱髓鞘改变 B.退行性变 C.轴突消失 D.
前置胎盘孕妇,阴道流血的特征是 A.无痛性阴道流血 B.有痛性阴道流血 C
最新回复
(
0
)