What was the main objection to Wegener’s theory of continental drift?
The main reason that Wegener's hypothesis was not accepted was because he suggested no mechanism for moving the continents. He thought the force of Earth's spin was sufficient to cause continents to move, but geologists knew that rocks are too strong for this to be true.
Why was Alfred Wegener’s theory of continental drift rejected quizlet?
Wegener's hypothesis was rejected from geologists because he couldn't identify the cause of continental drift.
What were two major flaws in Wegener’s theory of continental drift?
The greatest problem facing Wegener was the lack of direct evidence for the movements of continents (no GPS at the time!) and no mechanism was known to be powerful enough to move entire continents.
Why did scientists reject Wegener’s idea of continental drift?
Geologists roundly denounced Wegener's continental drift theory after he published the details in a 1915 book called "The Origin of Continents and Oceans (opens in new tab)." Part of the opposition was because Wegener didn't have a good model to explain how the continents moved, something scientists later explained …
Which feature of Wegener’s idea of continental drift contributed to its rejection by the scientific community?
Which feature of Wegener's idea of continental drift contributed to its rejection by the scientific community? Wegener proposed that gravitational forces from the Sun and Moon could move continents. You just studied 44 terms!
Why did most scientists not agree with the continental drift theory quizlet?
Why did most scientists reject Wegener's theory for nearly a half century? Most scientists rejected Wegener's theory because he could not explain the force that pushes or pulls the continents.
What did Wegener wrong?
We now know that Wegener's theory was wrong in one major point: continents do not plow through the ocean floor.
What was the major flaw in continental drift?
Wegener's work was considered a fringe science theory for his entire life. One of the biggest flaws in his hypothesis was the inability to provide a mechanism for how the continents moved.
Who rejected continental drift theory?
The idea was moonshine, I was informed." As late as 1953—just five years before Carey introduced the theory of plate tectonics—the theory of continental drift was rejected by the physicist Scheidegger on the following grounds.
Which of the following was not used in support of the continental drift hypothesis?
Explanation. Wegener did not use paleomagnetism to support his continental drift hypothesis.
Which of the following is not evidence used by Wegener in his hypothesis of continental drift?
Wegener's continental drift hypothesis did not give a plausible explanation for how continents move. Wegener's continental drift hypothesis did not state that the continents were arranged into a supercontinent many millions of years ago.
Why were other scientists unwilling to accept Wegener’s ideas?
Geological Evidence of Climate Thinking Critically (a) Why were other scientists unwilling to accept Wegener's ideas? Because Wegener could not satisfactorily explain the origin of the force that was moving the continents, the scientific community rejected his ideas on continental drift.
Which theory answers the question that continental drift theory was not able to explain?
Plate tectonics explains why Earth's continents are moving; the theory of continental drift did not provide an explanation. Therefore, the theory of plate tectonics is more complete. It has gained widespread acceptance among scientists.
When was the continental drift theory rejected?
Rejection of Wegener's theory, 1910s–1950s. Although now accepted, the theory of continental drift was rejected for many years, with evidence in its favor considered insufficient. One problem was that a plausible driving force was missing.
Why was Wegener’s idea of continental drift rejected?
This idea was quickly rejected by the scientific community primarily because the actual forces generated by the rotation of the earth were calculated to be insufficient to move continents.
What was missing from Alfred Wegener’s hypothesis?
The main issue with Wegener's Continental Drift Theory was he did not have a mechanism behind the drifting of continents. He had a substantial amount of evidence that made sense; nonetheless, without a driving force behind it, the scientific community simply discredited his entire idea.
Which was not used in support of the continental drift hypothesis?
Explanation. Wegener did not use paleomagnetism to support his continental drift hypothesis.
What was Alfred Wegener’s continental drift hypothesis quizlet?
What is the continental drift hypothesis? Proposed by Alfred Wegener, it states that Earth's continents have moved slowly to their current locations. All the continents were once connected as one landmass that broke apart 250 million years ago. This one landmass is called "Pangea," meaning "all land."
What are the arguments against Wegener’s hypothesis?
There were two main arguments against his thesis: one centered on the fact that no one could think of a mechanism that could move the continents, while the other concerned the question of whether the data supported Wegener. Wegener advanced five pieces of evidence that supported his thesis of continental motion.
Why was continental drift rejected?
Geologists roundly denounced Wegener's continental drift theory after he published the details in a 1915 book called "The Origin of Continents and Oceans (opens in new tab)." Part of the opposition was because Wegener didn't have a good model to explain how the continents moved, something scientists later explained …