Dr Alexander Logie du Toit, South African geologist, is born in Cape Town

Date: 14 Mar 1878
Updated: 30 Sep 2019

Dr Alexander Logie du Toit, South African geologist, is born in Cape Town

Dr Alexander Logie du Toit was a South African geologist. His work raised him to prominence and he became South Africa’s most important geologist. Du Toit studied both mining engineering and geology. One of his most famous projects was his study of the Karoo and its dolerite intrusions, of which he wrote and published several papers. Du Toit was anearly supporter of Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift. He was also the first scientist to propose the theory of two super continents separated by one ocean. According to the theory, the two supercontinents collided and formed Pangea. He documented all this in his book, Our Wandering Continents; An Hypotheses of Continental Drifting. Dr Alexander Logie du Toit died in 1948.

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01E-education," Alex du Toit",From:E-education,[online] Available at: www.e-education.psu.edu[Accessed on 26 February 2014]
02People Du Toit ," Alexander Logie (South Africa 1878-1948)",From:People Du Toit,[online] Available at: people.wku.edu[Accessed on 26 February 2014]

Last updated · 30 Sep 2019

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2014, March 7). Dr Alexander Logie du Toit, South African geologist, is born in Cape Town. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0097184

South African History Online (2014) 'Dr Alexander Logie du Toit, South African geologist, is born in Cape Town', South African History Online, 7 March. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0097184 (Accessed: 20 August 2026).

South African History Online, Dr Alexander Logie du Toit, South African geologist, is born in Cape Town [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0097184, (accessed 20 August 2026).

"Dr Alexander Logie du Toit, South African geologist, is born in Cape Town." South African History Online, 7 Mar. 2014, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0097184. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

South African History Online. "Dr Alexander Logie du Toit, South African geologist, is born in Cape Town." South African History Online. March 7, 2014. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0097184.