Plate Tectonics and Continental Drift

250 Million Years of Continental Drift

The Earth is over 4.5 billion years old. Since that time the Earth has undergone significant changes. Continents appeared and shifted positions worldwide. At approximately 250 million years ago a supercontinent emerged from the ocean. This supercontinent is called Pangaea. Pangaea split apart and left us with the 7 continents that we are familiar with today. It's hard to believe that the continents move. With overwhelming scientific data however, we now understand not only where continents have been and where they are going, but also what causes the continents to move.

Plate Tectonics is the name for that which causes the Earth's surface to change. The constant currents of warm and hot swirling magma in the Earth's mantle force the large plates of the crust to move and rub against each other. Earthquakes, Tsunamis, are Volcanoes are all caused by Plate Tectonics. Since we live only on average about 72 years we have a difficult time observing Plate Tectonics in action. If we recorded the Earth for a quarter billion years and played it in fast motion, you would see a planet that is violently undergoing constant transformation i.e. huge volcanic explosions, disappearing landmasses and seas, massive earthquakes and enormous tsunamis. 

Plate Tectonics have three distinct types of boundaries. The first plate boundary type is Convergent. Two plates collide or converge with each other. On plate will usually dive under the other causing lift. Second, is the divergent plate boundary. A divergent boundary occurs when two plates split apart from each other. Usually a divergent boundary results in a depression or low laying region of the crust. Finally, there is the strike-slip or transform plate boundary. These boundaries are found when two plates are moving parallel to one another. Earthquakes and Volcanoes typically occur along plate boundaries.