Continental Drift 101 | National Geographic

Plate tectonics have shuffled the earth’s landmasses around—and continue to do so.
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What is continental drift? Anyone who’s ever experienced an earthquake or seen a volcano knows that the phrase “solid ground” doesn’t always apply. Over Earth's long history, the great landmasses have continually rearranged themselves, separating from one ancient land mass known as Pangea. Find out how the world came to look the way it does.

Continental Drift 101 | National Geographic
https://youtu.be/Wq9kLzm36h0

National Geographic
https://www.youtube.com/natgeo

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.