Which statement BEST describes why the theory of continental drift was not accepted by Wegner’s peers in 1912?
a. There was no evidence at the time to support the claim.
b. Pangea did not exist as a single landmass on earth
c. Wegner could not explain how or why the continents moved
d. rift zones from at convergent plate boundries
c. Wegner could not explain how or why the continents moved
c. Wegner could not explain how or why the continents moved
The correct answer is c. Wegner could not explain how or why the continents moved.
The theory of continental drift proposed by Alfred Wegner in 1912 stated that the continents had once been joined together in a single large landmass called Pangea, which had subsequently drifted apart to their current positions. However, Wegner was unable to provide a convincing mechanism to explain how the continents moved.
In science, it is essential to have a well-supported explanation or mechanism to back up a theory. At the time, Wegner's peers found it difficult to accept the theory of continental drift because it lacked a credible explanation for the movement of continents.
Additionally, option a. "There was no evidence at the time to support the claim," is not entirely accurate. While Wegner's theory lacked a satisfactory explanation, there were some pieces of evidence, such as the fit of the continents' coastlines, similarities in rock formations, and the distribution of fossil species across continents, which suggested that the continents had once been connected.
Option b. "Pangea did not exist as a single landmass on earth," is not the primary reason the theory was not accepted. Pangea's existence as a single landmass was actually a part of Wegner's theory.
Similarly, option d. "rift zones from at convergent plate boundaries" is not a relevant factor for the rejection of the theory. Rift zones are associated with the movement of tectonic plates but are not specifically related to why Wegner's peers rejected his theory.