generate questions: Important geological concepts were established as naturalists began studying the rock formations of the Alps in the 18th century. In the mid-19th century the now defunct theory of geosynclines was used to explain the presence of "folded" mountain chains but by the mid-20th century the theory of plate tectonics became widely accepted.
Who began studying the rock formations of the Alps {sep_token} When did the studying of rock formations begin in the Alps? {sep_token} What was used in the mid-19th century to explain the presence of "folded" mountain chains? {sep_token} What theory was more widely accepted by the mid-20th century? {sep_token}