Kontinentverschiebung mit oder ohne polwanderung

Abstract

The author presumes the existence of continental movements which have separated the Permian palaeopoles of the continents, and brings them, by reduction of the movements, into coincidence on a common pole which presumably has made a wandering to the present pole. Upon the basis of palaeomagnetic, geological and especially marine geological data he reconstructs a Permian ensemble of continental positions. The comparison with a reconstruction without polar wandering, as Van Hilten (1964) has proposed, is made by the means of calculation and discussion of the presumptions of both cases. The possible evolution since the Permian grouping, including polar Wandering, is briefly described. The geophysical and geological processes are considered not only from the continental and new oceanic realms but also from the Pacific aspect. The author comes to the following conclusions: 1. (1) On a reconstruction of palaeogroupings of the continents the palaeomagnetic data available until now must be evaluated critically in view of the geological facts and the causal connections between continental movements and mid-oceanic rises. 2. (2) Upon the presumption of polar wandering it is possible to reconstruct palaeogroupings of the continents which correspond to the above conditions and require continental movements of acceptable size only. In an attempt at reconstruction without polar wandering one needs to admit that continental movements and rotations, which have about twice the dimensions of those including polar wandering, seems to be impossible without geologically and geophysically more or less untenable hypotheses. 3. (3) The evolution of new oceans and continental movements must be considered in connection with the evolution of mid-oceanic rises of deep mantle origin which is of primary importance. Moreover, the problems must be considered from the Pacific aspect, as mid-Pacific and marginal Pacific conditions have an essential part on the great movements and new formations.