During the nineteenth century, geologists overwhelmingly adhered to "contraction theory," which posited that the Earth was gradually cooling and shrinking, causing its crust to wrinkle and form mountain ranges. However, throughout the early twentieth century, evidence accumulated regarding continental drift, seafloor spreading, and subduction zones that contraction theory could not explain. By the 1960s, this culminated in the near-universal acceptance of Plate Tectonics, which viewed the Earth’s lithosphere as a system of moving plates. This fundamentally changed how geologists conducted research, interpreted fossils, and understood seismic activity.
Using the text above, explain what is meant by a paradigm shift.
689 exam-style questions on AQA A Level Psychology Scientific processes. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.