The main problem with Wegener’s hypothesis of Continental Drift was the lack of a mechanism . He did not have an explanation for how the continents moved. His attempt to explain it using tides only made things worse. But both Galileo and Darwin had serious flaws in their theories when they were first presented.
What was the main flaw of Alfred Wegener’s hypothesis?
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 was the continental drift hypothesis rejected?
Wegener also suggested that India drifted northward into the asian continent thus forming the Himalayas. ... 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 the main objection to the continental drift hypothesis?
One of the main objections to the continental drift hypothesis was its inability to provide an acceptable mechanism for the movement of continents .
Why was Pangea not accepted?
Despite having this geological and paleontological evidence, Wegener’s theory of continental drift was not accepted by the scientific community, because his explanation of the driving forces behind continental movement (which he said stemmed from the pulling force that created Earth’s equatorial bulge or the ...
What was Wegener’s theory?
In the early 20th century, Wegener published a paper explaining his theory that the continental landmasses were “drifting” across the Earth, sometimes plowing through oceans and into each other. He called this movement continental drift .
What are the 4 evidence of continental drift?
The evidence for continental drift included the fit of the continents; the distribution of ancient fossils, rocks, and mountain ranges; and the locations of ancient climatic zones .
What are 3 types of evidence for continental drift?
They based their idea of continental drift on several lines of evidence: fit of the continents, paleoclimate indicators, truncated geologic features, and fossils .
What is the evidence for Pangea?
Glacial deposits, specifically till, of the same age and structure are found on many separate continents that would have been together in the continent of Pangaea. Fossil evidence for Pangaea includes the presence of similar and identical species on continents that are now great distances apart .
At what location is most lithosphere created?
At what location is most lithosphere created?? At what location is the most lithosphere destroyed? The lithosphere is created in the mid ocean ridge . It is destroyed in the earth’s interior.
Why did Pangea break up?
Scientists believe that Pangea broke apart for the same reason that the plates are moving today . The movement is caused by the convection currents that roll over in the upper zone of the mantle. This movement in the mantle causes the plates to move slowly across the surface of the Earth.
What was is the most convincing evidence for the modern theory of plate tectonics?
Evidence from fossils, glaciers, and complementary coastlines helps reveal how the plates once fit together. Fossils tell us when and where plants and animals once existed. Some life “rode” on diverging plates, became isolated, and evolved into new species.
Did dinosaurs live on Pangea?
Dinosaurs lived on all of the continents . At the beginning of the age of dinosaurs (during the Triassic Period, about 230 million years ago), the continents were arranged together as a single supercontinent called Pangea. During the 165 million years of dinosaur existence this supercontinent slowly broke apart.
What did Earth look like before Pangea?
But before Pangaea, Earth’s landmasses ripped apart and smashed back together to form supercontinents repeatedly . ... Each supercontinent has its quirks, but one, called Rodinia, assembled from 1.3 to 0.9 billion years ago and broken up about 0.75 billion years ago, is particularly odd.
Is there a possibility that Pangea can happen again?
The answer is yes . Pangea wasn’t the first supercontinent to form during Earth’s 4.5-billion-year geologic history, and it won’t be the last. ... So, there’s no reason to think that another supercontinent won’t form in the future, Mitchell said.
What are the 5 evidences of continental drift theory?
The evidence for continental drift included the fit of the continents; the distribution of ancient fossils, rocks, and mountain ranges; and the locations of ancient climatic zones .
