Tectonic plates are responsible for the movement, convergence, or separation of landmasses on Earth’s surface. The Earth’s surface is dynamic and has undergone significant changes throughout history. At times, landmasses come together to form supercontinents while at other times they disperse and change shape.
One such supercontinent was Pangea which existed 320-195 million years ago. It brought together the majority of a planet’s land into one massive structure. Other past supercontinents include Rodinia, Columbia (Nuna), and Gondwana, although the latter’s status as a supercontinent is debatable. Despite their size and massiveness, these supercontinents eventually disintegrated due to the movement of tectonic plates, a process known as continental drift.
The theory of plate tectonics explains how the Earth’s lithosphere (outer layer) consists of plates moving above the mantle, driven by heat from within the planet. This movement can lead to the formation and dissolution of supercontinents as demonstrated by the breakup of Pangea into the continents we see today. The ongoing movement of Earth’s tectonic plates causes continuous changes in the arrangement of continents.
The average movement of Earth’s continents is about 1.5 cm per year, leading to constant shifting among them. When tectonic plates collide, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and new mountain formation can occur indicating signs that Africa may split in two in the future suggesting that its current structure may not be permanent. Millions of years from now, these continents may once again come together to form a new supercontinent continuing the cycle of change on Earth’s surface.
In summary, tectonic plates play a crucial role in shaping our planet by causing movement among its landmasses which leads to changes in their arrangement over time
