0
Was Wegener's continental drift hypothesis weakened because of viable mechanism for moving the continents was lacking?
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Definitely. Wegener seems to have believed that the continents plowed through the oceanic crust like a ship plowing through water. The geologists of the day couldn't see how that could happen, mainly because it can't.
Eventually, though, they came to realize that what's really happening is that the oceanic crust is moving on its own and carrying the continents with it. That's a lot more rational, but figuring that out required knowing that there are mid-ocean ridges, with lots of volcanic activity; that the oceanic crust is newest at those ridges and older as you get farther away; knowledge of where earthquakes occur worldwide; and many, many other things that we only first encountered in the era around World War II, long after Wegener was dead, and only started to get a real handle on decades after even that.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
Why was the wegeners hypothesis o the continental drift not widely accepted at the time it was proposed?
Although it seemed to make a lot of sense, there was no known proof of HOW the continents would drift. It wasn't until years later that we gained knowledge of plate tectonics, which bolstered Wegener's hypothesis.
What discovery led scientists to accept Wegeners continental drift hypothesis?
One day while scientists were exploring the sea floor, they discovered sea-floor spreading, thus proving Wegener's hypothesis to be correct.
What was an important reason why wegeners continental drift hypothesis was widely accepted?
The continental Coastlines fit together like puzzle pieces, fossils, and glacier Grover in warm places
Why was Wegeners hypothesis rejected by most scientists of his day?
Wegener made a strong case for continental drift as you may know. E.g. similar rock strata on opposing continents, similar fossil types located in geographically distant regions, evidence of glaciation and the general jig-saw fit of the continents. He could not explain however how the continents moved, that is, what force was acting on them and causing them to drift. He suggested that a combination of centrifugal force from the Earth's rotation and gravitational forces from objects in space (similar to what causes tides) moved the continents. Calculations proved this to be impossible. Since he could not explain the mechanism because little about plate tectonics was known at the time, his ideas were not widely accepted in the scientific community.
Wegeners's idea that the continents slowly move over earth's surface became know as?
Pangaea
Wegeners hypothesis of continental drift was replaced in 1967 by which theory that supported his idea continents move?
plate tectonics
What was the reason wegeners continental drift hypothesis was rejected?
His evidence was incorrect.
Wegeners hypothesis of continental drift was finally confirmed by?
evidence supporting the idea of sea-floor spreading.
Why was the wegeners hypothesis o the continental drift not widely accepted at the time it was proposed?
Although it seemed to make a lot of sense, there was no known proof of HOW the continents would drift. It wasn't until years later that we gained knowledge of plate tectonics, which bolstered Wegener's hypothesis.
What was the main reason wegeners continental drift was rejected?
He could not provide a wholly acceptable explanation for the movement of the continents.
Why is ''cotinental drift'' an appropriate title for wegeners theory?
Because Continental drift is when the continents drift apart because they hate each other.
What evidence supports his hypothesis?
The evidence that supports wegeners hypothesis is the fossil evidence
Why was wegeners theory of continental drift?
While geological research during the sixties had shed new light into the theory, it was J. Tuzo Wilson's proposal of a mechanism for continental drift what led to widespread acceptance of the theory. Proposing a feasible mechanism was something Wegener himself had failed to do, he had only proposed some evidence (complementary Coastlines and fossil distributions across continents.) and falsified mechanisms (like Earth's centrifugal pseudoforce).
How did discovery of glossopteris support Wegeners continental drift hypothesis?
Because identical fossils were found on two continents far apart, it suggested that at one time the two landmasses were joined together. In other cases of lands separated by far less distance, plants did not propagate across the divide.
How did the discovery of Glossopteris support Wegeners continental drift hypothesis?
Because identical fossils were found on two continents far apart, it suggested that at one time the two landmasses were joined together. In other cases of lands separated by far less distance, plants did not propagate across the divide.
What evidence did Wegeners have to support his theory?
Fossils support his hypothesis.
What discovery led scientists to accept Wegeners continental drift hypothesis?
One day while scientists were exploring the sea floor, they discovered sea-floor spreading, thus proving Wegener's hypothesis to be correct.
