Talk about the ultimate breakup.
Europe and Africa have been splitting apart
from the American continents for millions of years.
At a rate of approximately 2.5 centimeters per year,
the continents are moving about as fast
as our fingernails grow.
And as they continue to split, the rift between them,
otherwise known as the Atlantic Ocean, will get even wider.
And all this drama is leaving behind a major scar,
an underwater valley called the Mid-Atlantic Ridge,
which tears more and more as the continents slowly move apart.
Looking back on the continental relationship
puts us a mere 300 million years ago
when Africa, Europe, the Americas,
and all the other continents were one big landmass.
The famed supercontinent, Pangea.
Due to the constant churning of magma underneath the Earth's
crust, they all split up and moved to their modern day
positions.
But if destiny in the form of magma and tectonic plates
has anything to say about it, the continents
might have a chance of getting back together.
But how will these stubborn continents kiss and make up?
Scientists believe the plates will
shift, causing the continents to rearrange and get
back together.
But in true tectonic plate style,
it'll take about 250 million years.
Our planet has a violent soul.
Majestic and often destructive, volcanic explosions
rattle our collective imagination.