Why was the theory of continental drift not widely accepted?

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.

In what way was the theory of continental drift lacking?

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.

What continents support the idea of continental drift?

The widespread distribution of Permo-Carboniferous glacial sediments in South America, Africa, Madagascar, Arabia, India, Antarctica and Australia was one of the major pieces of evidence for the theory of continental drift.

What was the major criticism of the theory of continental drift?

Drawbacks of Continental Drift Theory Wegener failed to explain why the drift began only in Mesozoic era and not before. The theory doesn’t consider oceans. Proofs heavily depend on assumptions that are generalistic. Forces like buoyancy, tidal currents and gravity are too weak to be able to move continents.

When did the theory of continental drift become accepted?

1912
The first truly detailed and comprehensive theory of continental drift was proposed in 1912 by Alfred Wegener, a German meteorologist.

Why were geologists initially skeptical about Wegener’s continental drift hypothesis?

Why were geologists initially skeptical of Wegener’s continental drift hypothesis? -Paleomagnetic inclination can be used to determine the ancient latitude of a continent, because scientists discovered that rocks can become magnetized in the direction of the Earth’s magnetic field at the time they are formed.

Why is continental drift important?

5 days ago
continental drift, large-scale horizontal movements of continents relative to one another and to the ocean basins during one or more episodes of geologic time. This concept was an important precursor to the development of the theory of plate tectonics, which incorporates it.

How did all the continents fit together?

The continents fit together like pieces of a puzzle. Alfred Wegener proposed that the continents were once united into a single supercontinent named Pangaea, meaning all earth in ancient Greek. He suggested that Pangaea broke up long ago and that the continents then moved to their current positions.

What did other scientists think of Alfred Wegener’s theory?

Some critics thought that giant land bridges could explain the similarities among fossils in South America and Africa. Others argued that Wegener’s theory did not explain the forces that would have been needed to move continents to such great distances.

Why don t the present shape of the continents fit perfectly into a supercontinent?

Pangaea: 335 million years ago, all the landmasses on Earth were joined together in a single supercontinent of Pangaea. Over time, the geological forces which brought the continents together eventually caused them to drift apart.

Why is the continental drift theory revolutionary?

Continental drift was a revolutionary scientific theory developed in the years 1908-1912 by Alfred Wegener (1880-1930), a German meteorologist, climatologist, and geophysicist, that put forth the hypothesis that the continents had all originally been a part of one enormous landmass or supercontinent about 240 million …