What was unknown to scientists during Wegener's time? (1 point)
O Mountain ranges of some continents lined up.
Fossils were found in many places.
O Earth's crust is made of plates that move.
O The coasts of some continents fit together.
Well, during Wegener's time, scientists were quite oblivious to the fact that Earth's crust is made up of plates that move. They were probably too busy trying to figure out why the dinosaurs went extinct or something equally important. But hey, hindsight is 20/20, right? So, let's just say they didn't have a clue about those moving plates. Classic scientists, always a bit slow on the uptake. *cue circus music* 🎪🤡
During Wegener's time, the concept that the Earth's crust is made of plates that move was unknown to scientists.
To determine what was unknown to scientists during Wegener's time, we can analyze the given options:
1. Mountain ranges of some continents lined up: This statement refers to the observation that certain mountain ranges on different continents seem to align with each other. This phenomenon was one of the key pieces of evidence proposed by Wegener in support of his theory of continental drift. Therefore, this option was known to scientists during Wegener's time.
2. Fossils were found in many places: During Wegener's time, the existence of fossils in various locations was well-known to scientists. In fact, Wegener himself utilized fossil evidence in his theory of continental drift to demonstrate the past connection between continents.
3. Earth's crust is made of plates that move: This statement describes the concept known as plate tectonics, which asserts that the Earth's crust is composed of several rigid plates that move relative to each other. Although Wegener's theory of continental drift laid the groundwork for the understanding of plate tectonics, this specific concept was not fully developed or widely accepted during Wegener's time. Therefore, the knowledge that the Earth's crust is made of moving plates was unknown to scientists at that time.
4. The coasts of some continents fit together: This statement relates to the existence of matching coastline shapes between different continents. Wegener used this observation as further evidence for his theory of continental drift, suggesting that the continents had once been joined together. Hence, this idea of fitting coastlines was known during Wegener's time.
Based on the above analysis, the correct answer is: Earth's crust is made of plates that move (option C).