Alfred Wegener (1880 – 1931): A German geologist, he had a desire to explore the polar regions of the Earth from a young age. He made several expeditions to the icy island of Greenland, and it was during a snowstorm on the island that Wegener lost his life. His explorations of Greenland inspired him to write the timeless work “The Origin of Continents and Oceans.” The trio of theories he founded: “Continental Drift,” “Seafloor Spreading,” and “Plate Tectonics,” laid the theoretical foundation for unveiling the significant geological mysteries of the Earth.
The Dream of Exploration
By the end of the 19th century, footprints of explorers could be found across the globe, except in the Arctic and Antarctic.
Wegener was born on November 1, 1880, into a Christian family. From a young age, he was a child who loved adventure and dreamed big.
As a child, Wegener read extensively about explorers, particularly fascinated by the story of the famous British explorer John Franklin.
 |
Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790) |
Franklin’s exploration of the “Northwest Passage,” which ultimately led to his sacrifice on the journey to the Arctic, had a profound impact on Wegener, making Franklin a hero in his eyes and solidifying his lifelong aspiration to explore the unknown.
To achieve his ideal, Wegener actively studied various relevant fields, tirelessly delving into astronomy, geology, and meteorology, and reading all literature concerning Antarctica and the Arctic.
Moreover, he engaged in rigorous physical training to build his strength. Wegener devised a strict training regimen for himself.
During the hot summer months, with the sun scorching the earth, he would carry a sandbag on his shoulder and walk several kilometers. In the freezing winter, he would bathe in cold water daily. He would sleep with his window open and often wear a thin shirt while skiing in the snow, taking every opportunity to train.
In 1905, Wegener earned his doctorate in Meteorology with outstanding results, dedicating himself entirely to meteorological research. In 1906, he and his brother broke the world record at that time for operating a balloon in the air for 52 consecutive hours.
In the summer of 1906, Wegener finally achieved his childhood dream by joining the famous Danish expedition that traversed the snowy “Northwest Passage” to Greenland to study weather and glaciers.
Wegener spent two years on the icy island of Greenland, where he discovered several strange phenomena: glaciers that were hard yet still moved slowly, and in this barren land where no vegetation could grow, there were significant layers of coal beneath the surface.
After returning, Wegener continued to ponder these phenomena. One day, while visiting a friend, he observed a world map hanging on the neighbor’s wall. As he conversed with his friend, he noticed that the contours of the eastern coast of the Americas closely matched those of the western coast of Africa, fitting together like pieces of a puzzle. He exclaimed: “Look, if we fit Africa and South America together, they align perfectly, right?” He continued, “Not only Africa and South America, but even Antarctica and North America align with Europe as well; they can all fit together snugly. This suggests that long ago, they were united as a single entity, not divided into continents as we see today.”
Wegener, feeling like a madman, exclaimed all the way home: “Continents drift, continents drift.”
Not long after, this announcement sent shockwaves around the world.
The Departure of a Great Scientist
 |
Wegener |
Following the publication of Wegener’s theory of continental drift, it caused a massive upheaval worldwide, garnering both support and opposition.
To most, continents were thought to be immutable, so the idea of them cracking and drifting seemed absurd.
To prove his theory, Wegener made several expeditions to Greenland.
In April 1930, Wegener led an expedition to conquer Greenland, marking his fourth exploration.
They arrived successfully at the western coast of Greenland. At that time, at the Etmit base in central Greenland, two members of the expedition remained there over the winter to observe the weather, but storms and snow made resupply difficult. In late September, Wegener decided to personally transport supplies from the coastal base to the Etmit base.
Wegener led 14 men on sleds, undeterred by the snowstorm, determined to proceed. Initially, the winds were mild, but soon they grew stronger, and the snowfall intensified. A fierce storm hit, blinding everyone, and all 14 men fell flat. They struggled to get up repeatedly. The temperature at that moment dropped to -65 degrees, with danger lurking at every step.
After traveling about 160 kilometers, most could hardly walk anymore, and one person said to Wegener: “We shouldn’t go any further, or we’ll perish in this blizzard.”
The raging storm did not weaken Wegener’s resolve; he told his team: “Anyone who can still walk, come with me; those who can’t, go back!” He then patiently pressed forward, with only two people remaining alongside him. They bravely battled the storm, falling and getting back up again, until they finally reached the Etmit base.
At the Etmit base, resupplying food and supplies was extremely challenging; staying there posed a risk of running out of food. On November 7, Wegener decided to risk returning alone to the coastal base to ease the supply burden on the team. The next day, Wegener and a guide set off on sleds back to the western coastal base. No one expected that this journey would be the last time anyone would see him. It wasn’t until April of the following year that the expedition found his body.
A great scientist departed, taking with him ideals and an unfinished career.
