Plates collision continental upheaval from "summary" of Earth's Continents by Todd Bluthenthal
The movement of tectonic plates can cause massive changes to the land masses of the earth, some of which can be quite catastrophic. Mountains can form, volcanoes can erupt, and land can be displaced, which can have a huge effect on the climate and people living in the area.- Plate tectonics can dramatically reshape the geography of our planet - continents move and collide, lifting up mountains and creating new deep ocean trenches.
- When two continental plates impact it causes a huge upheaval known as orogeny, where old rocks are folded and piled up, leading to the creation of mountain ranges such as the Rocky Mountains, Himalayas and the Andes.
- Millions of years ago the surface of the earth was much different than it is today as a result of ongoing plate movements.
- Scientists study fossils and other evidence to piece together the geologic history of the planet which shows signs of ancient plate collisions and disruption from seismic activity.
- The vast force of these continental collisions has tremendous effects on the conditions of living organisms on the land, in the air or in water across the world.
- Seafloor spreading pushes existing oceanic crust apart resulting in newly formed lava, magma chambers and fresh coral reefs contributing to the complexity of the continental makeup.
