Final answer:
Louis Agassiz is recognized for his theory that large continental ice sheets caused the dispersal of erratics across Europe, supporting the idea of historical ice ages. His work did not focus on explaining temperature variations or insolation changes but on the physical evidence of past glaciations.
Step-by-step explanation:
Louis Agassiz:
Louis Agassiz was a renowned 19th-century scientist known for his work in paleontology and glaciology. Among his significant contributions to science, his recognition of the Ice Age stands out. He particularly noted the presence of erratics—large boulder rocks dispersed in areas where they did not naturally belong—and correctly attributed them to the action of ancient, expansive continental ice sheets.
Agassiz did propose ideas concerning the timing of glacial events though his focus was not explicitly on explaining the variations in Earth's temperature or climate changes. Instead, it was his observations and interpretations of glacial evidence, such as the distribution of erratics, that allowed him to theorize that large parts of Europe had once been covered in ice. This led to a broader acceptance of the concept of ice ages, fundamentally altering our understanding of Earth's climatic past.
It is essential to differentiate Agassiz's contributions from those of other scientists like Milankovitch, who later expanded on the causes of ice ages by considering factors such as the Earth's orbit eccentricity, axial tilt, and changes in the distribution of solar radiation (insolation). While Agassiz laid significant groundwork in the understanding of ice ages, he did not delve into the cyclical orbital and axial changes, which are now known to play a crucial role in the patterns of glaciation and climate.