From the 1930s to the late 1950s, works by Vening-Meinesz, Holmes, Umbgrove, and numerous others outlined concepts that were close or nearly identical to modern plate tectonics theory. In particular, the English geologist Arthur Holmes proposed in 1920 that plate junctions might lie beneath the sea, and in 1928 that convection currents within the mantle might be the driving force. Holmes's views were particularly influential: in his bestselling textbook, Principles of Physical Geology, he included a chapter on continental drift, proposing that Earth's mantle contained convection cells which dissipated radioactive heat and moved the crust at the surface. Holmes's proposal resolved the phase disequilibrium objection (the underlying fluid was kept from solidifying by radioactive heating from the core). However, scientific communication in the 1930s and 1940s was inhibited by World War II, and the theory still required work to avoid foundering on the orogeny and isostasy objections. Worse, the most viable forms of the theory predicted the existence of convection cell boundaries reaching deep into the Earth, that had yet to be observed.
From the 1930s to the late 1950s works by Vening-Meinesz Holmes Umbgrove and numerous others outlined concepts that were close or nearly identical to modern plate tectonics theory In particular the English geologist Arthur Holmes proposed in 1920 that plate junctions might lie beneath the sea and in 1928 that convection currents within the mantle might be the driving force Holmes's views were particularly influential in his bestselling textbook Principles of Physical Geology he included a chapter on continental drift proposing that Earth's mantle contained convection cells which dissipated radioactive heat and moved the crust at the surface Holmes's proposal resolved the phase disequilibrium objection (the underlying fluid was kept from solidifying by radioactive heating from the core) However scientific communication in the 1930s and 1940s was inhibited by World War II and the theory still required work to avoid foundering on the orogeny and isostasy objections Worse the most viable forms of the theory predicted the existence of convection cell boundaries reaching deep into the Earth that had yet to be observed