Plate Tectonics

The continents have always been in their current positions.

Pangaea broke apart gradually over millions of years, forming the continents we know today.

All continents moved to the North Pole.

The breakup of Pangaea happened suddenly in a single event.

Fossil evidence and rock types

Ancient climates and ocean currents

Plate tectonics and volcanoes

Earthquakes and tsunamis

North America and South America

North America and Europe

Africa and Australia

Asia and Antarctica

Oceanic ridges

Rift valleys

Mountain ranges

Seafloor spreading

Divergent boundary

Convergent boundary

Transform fault boundary

Subduction boundary

Upwarping → Rift valley → Linear sea → Oceanic ridge

Rift valley → Upwarping → Oceanic ridge → Linear sea

Linear sea → Upwarping → Rift valley → Oceanic ridge

Upwarping → Linear sea → Rift valley → Oceanic ridge

Oceanic-Continental Convergent Boundary

Oceanic-Oceanic Convergent Boundary

Continental-Continental Convergent Boundary

Transform Boundary

Volcanic island arcs

Trenches

Mountain ranges

Mid-ocean ridges

The Andes Mountains

The Himalayas

The Rocky Mountains

The Alps

They destroy the lithosphere.

They create new oceanic crust.

Plates grind past each other without destroying the lithosphere.

They form volcanic arcs.

Laurasia

Gondwana

Pangaea

Eurasia