Question

Alexander von Humboldt accomplished many things and improved society. Select all of Humboldt's accomplishments that are listed below:
A. mapped thousands of miles of uncharted territory
B. studied human interaction with the environment
C. developed the "Theory of Plate Tectonics"
D. developed the "Theory of Evolution"

Answer 1

Humboldt directly accomplished A and B. He did not accomplish C and D, although his work was influential to their future development.

A. Mapped thousands of miles of uncharted territory: During his travels through Europe and especially Latin America, Humboldt charted territory that had never been explored before. He also improved the existing maps by attempting to find correlations and relationships between all the elements that form an ecosystem.

B. Studied human interaction with the environment: Humboldt studied the connections between living beings (including humans) and their ecosystems. He developed what would later be called ecology. He also laid the foundations of theories of climate change.

C. Developed the "Theory of Plate Tectonics": The Theory of Plate Tectonics was developed in the 20th century. However, Humboldt made some contributions to its development. He developed the theory that the lands bordering the Atlantic Ocean had once been joined. He also realized that magma (molten rock beneath the surface of the Earth) was more likely to rise to the surface along the fractures of the Earth. Now we know that volcanoes are often found along the edges of tectonic plates.

D. Developed the "Theory of Evolution": The theory of evolution was developed by Charles Darwin in his book “On the Origin of Species”. Even though Humboldt did not develop the idea, some of his other accomplishments were influential on Darwin’s science, especially the accounts of his travels.