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Could tectonic plate movement create another
super-continent?
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Question Date: 2013-08-30 | | Answer 1:
YES!!!The plates are moving and have been for
billions of years... they collide and they rip
apart. The plates carry the continents on their
"backs"; if two plates -each with a continent-
collide, then a supercontinent can be created. The
subcontinent of INDIA used to be an isolated block
about 30-50 million years ago; it first crashed
into Asia to create the Himalayas.
| | Answer 2:
The short answer is, yes! This is a wonderful
question. There have been AT LEAST 3
super-continents in Earth’s history. The most
recent one is called Pangaea. And it existed from
about 300 to 200 million years ago. Right now the
Pacific Ocean is closing (because of subduction;
remember the Ring of Fire!) and the Atlantic Ocean
is getting wider (because of the Mid-Atlantic
Ridge). If this continues, then the Americas will
move further away from Africa/Europe and closer to
Asia until there is a new super-continent. This is
just one hypothesis and not everyone agrees about
it, but everyone does agree that there will be
another super-continent. It is just a matter of
figuring out what it will look like!
| | Answer 3:
Yes - it's happening now, in fact: North
America, Eurasia, Africa, and Australia are
combining to create a new northern hemisphere
supercontinent. South America and Antarctica will
remain (or become) island continents, however.
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