It began as the controversial theory of continental drift - the idea that the continents we know on earth today were not always in the positions they are in now. In the last century, scientists have been able to probe the earth as never before, revealing surprising evidence that has led wide support to what is now generally known as Plate Tectonics.
Way back in 1912 a scientist by the
name of Alfred Wegener came up with a crazy idea. He noticed that all
of the continents seemed to fit together like the pieces of a giant
puzzle. He thought, "Maybe they were once all joined together in
a single, giant landmass that broke up and drifted apart over time?"...Read more
Since we can only measure as far back in time as we had solid rock on this planet, we are limited in how we can measure the real age of the earth. Due to the forces of plate tectonics, our planet is also a very dynamic one ...Read more
By collecting and measuring samples
of rock from various locations along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, scientists
have discovered that the newest, youngest crustal rocks are located
in the center of the ridge...Read more
Many spreading boundaries are located deep in the ocean on the
sea floor. These are places where volcanic activity is at a premium
because the crust is being torn apart.....Read more
Scientists thought that volcanoes only
happened at plate boundaries, but nobody could explain why they were
happening out in the middle of a tectonic plate...Read more
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