Question

Ava had read about continental drift and that it had now become a theory. What information caused the hypothesis of continental drift to become a theory?

A. observations that the ocean floor plates appear to be stable and unchanging
B. observations that the lithosphere is broken apart and these plates have no boundaries
C. observations that explain the movements of plates in the lithosphere and predict what happens when they meet.
D. observations that Earth appears to have plates with boundaries that are moving

Answer 1

Continental drift became a theory with the development of plate tectonics, through observations that explained plate movements and their interactions in the lithosphere. The correct answer is option: C. observations that explain the movements of plates in the lithosphere and predict what happens when they meet.

Step-by-step explanation:

The hypothesis of continental drift became a theory through the cumulative observations and scientific findings that solidified our understanding of the movement of tectonic plates. Alfred Wegener's early 20th-century idea of continental drift provided significant evidence that continents once fit together and shared geological and fossil records, suggesting they were once part of a giant supercontinent called Pangea.

However, the hypothesis transformed into the theory of plate tectonics when later scientific research in the 1960s, particularly by Harry Hess, established a mechanism for the movement, including evidence for sea-floor spreading, and how tectonic plates interacted with clear boundaries and predicted outcomes when they meet.

The correct answer that caused the hypothesis of continental drift to become a theory is: C. observations that explain the movements of plates in the lithosphere and predict what happens when they meet.