There are 13 articles on this title. You are reading the article ranked and rated #5 by Helium's members.
Plate movement has always been a hot topic for scientists to discuss, simply because we don't know much about whats inside our planet. The earths core heats rock and the elements that make rock, which means the particles in the hotter rock spread out faster, so the rock from the inner core rises through to the liquidized piece of the mantle; the lithosphere. When rock reaches the lithosphere, it cools again, before 'retreating' back down into the earths core, where gravity is at its strongest. This 'cycle' creates movement below the earths surface, which is unpredictable. This is why we can only guess at what Pangaea looked like, because the tectonic plates don't move in constant directions and at constant speeds. Without the liquidized 'lithosphere', our planet would have looked the same since land was created, possibly over 4 billion years ago. The poles of our planet hide several secrets into how magnetic fields contribute hot rock, but sadly, no conclusive evidence has been found to support this theory. An additional theory states that the radioactivity from within the earth triggers 'magma spasms'. These movements from under the earths crust have different forces at different points of the globe. This is a definite reason for why plates move at different speeds.
Learn more about this author, Tim Burchboy.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
Below are the top articles rated and ranked by Helium members on:
by Rex Trulove
As little as a hundred years ago, earthquakes were thought to be spawned by demons or deities. The mere thought that ... read more
by Suzie Blu
A GUIDE TO PLATE TECTONICS: HOW CONTINENTS MOVE The story of Plate Tectonics is a fascinating story of the lighter... read more
The earth crust, also called LITHOSPHERE, is very thin respect to the earth radius (about 6350 Km), with a minimum th... read more
The surface of the Earth is relatively thin, and rigid plates are in constant motion. The surface layer is composed o... read more
by Tim Burchboy
Plate movement has always been a hot topic for scientists to discuss, simply because we don't know much about whats i... read more
View All Articles on:
A guide to plate tectonics: How continents move
Add your voice
Know something about A guide to plate tectonics: How continents move?
We want to hear your view.
Write now!
Already a member? Log in.
Featured Partner
Pacific Research Institute (PRI)
The mission of the Pacific Research Institute (PRI) is to champion freedom, opportunity and personal responsibility f...more
hide