Illustration of a world map showing the edges of a modern plate.
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Plate tectonics is a scientific theory describing the mass movement of seven or eight large blades (as described) and the movements of a larger number of smaller plates of tight outer shell Land. The relative motion of the blades usually ranges from zero to 100 mm per year. Since tectonic processes began on Earth between 3.3 and 3.5 billion years ago this speed – as soon as our nails grow – is enough to move continents across the entire planet.
In one of the most complete models ever compiled, scientists have amassed billions of years of plate tectonic movements into 40-second video.
The video is based on new research published in the March 2021 edition of Earth Science Reviews. The video’s lead author and creator Dr Andrew Merdith began working on the project while a PhD student with Professor Dietmar Müller in the School of Geology at the University of Sydney. The co-author, Dr Michael Tetley, who completed his PhD at the University of Sydney, explains the essence of the study: “For the first time a complete model of tectonics was built, encompassing all boundaries . “
“On a human time frame, things move in centimeters every year, but as we can see from the animation, the continents have been everywhere.”
Over the past four years, the researchers have compiled published data of the relative movements from each continent and tectonic history from often remote areas. The resulting vibrant reconstruction shows the opening and closing of oceans, the continental dispersal and retreat of continents to form vast continents. .
Continental settlement affects sea level, ocean currents, and the climate on Earth. Even the evolution of life has been altered by tectonics. As continents separate, species become isolated and eventually become new species. When continents collide, different species reunite, creating new ecosystems.