During an expedition to South Westland in 1941, Wellman and another geologist, R. W. Willett, recognised and described the Alpine Fault, which splits the South Island in half. Wellman later suggested that the opposite sides had been moved 480 kilometres apart. This was considered an outrageous idea at the time, but today it is widely accepted. Wellman prepared the first compilation of active faults in the South Island, and was a pioneer in applying the concept of plate tectonics to New Zealand geology.

Learn more at the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography
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