Pangaea is Greek for "all land."
If you mean 'plate tectonics', that is the geology of the earth's covering plates and how they move.
That's like saying, if the world didn't exist would we still have oceans? You can't really get rid of plate tectonics so it doesn't really mean anything.
Obduction refers to the process in plate tectonics where one tectonic plate is forced over the edge of another, usually due to a collision. This often leads to the uplifting and emplacement of rocks from the lower plate onto the upper plate.
Where the plate of the earth collide and pull apart. (If you don't know what I mean by plates of the earth Wikipedia plate tectonics) The only other places volcanoes occur is above hot spots (hot spots are also explained on the plate tectonics Wikipedia page)
Tectonics is the large scale processes effecting the crust. The large scale process that is accepted to be occurring is plate tectonics (crust separated into plates that move and interact). The theory of continental drift suggested that continents moved however it never proposed a mechanism, plate tectonics is that mechanism that explains what alfred wegener saw. So back to your question similarities between what i think you mean modern tectonics i.e. plate tectonics and continental drift is that they both suggest the crust is moving.
Plate tectonics, rotation, and gravitational pull of the Sun, shift the Earth slightly, so that the Earth bulges near the Equator.
There would be a lot of geology (and some paleontology) that we wouldn't understand. Actually, given modern GPS technology, it's hard to see how we could possibly miss discovering plate tectonics... it could have been delayed a few decades, but the chances of it being still undiscovered as of 2011 are essentially nil.It's important to note that, just because nobody knew anything about plate tectonics prior to Wegener, that doesn't mean it wasn't happening.
If I am correct, tectonics means "carpenter or builder".
a) Continental crust - continental crust convergence (eg the Himalaya where the Indian plate is pushing against the Eurasian plate) b) Oceanic crust - continental crust convergence (eg the Andes where the Pacific plate is pushing against the South American plate) What are two bad things that can happen as a result of plate tectonics? a) Earthquakes b) Emission of poisonous gases from volcanoes How did plate tectonics cause these events? a) Earthquakes occur as a result of the sudden movement of one tectonic platerelative to another. As a result of friction, they are often held in one particular position until stress builds up sufficiently that there is sudden movement. Shock from this movement is conveyed through the surrounding rock resulting in an earthquake. b) Volcanoes, themselves rarely cause much destruction & death. However, poisonous gases emitted from stratovolcanoes which are frequently found at oceanic crust - continental crust convergence zones do result in deaths of people & of farm animals. This happens as a result of the hydration of the oceanic plate as it sinks underneath the continental plate, its partial melting & the rise of steam & gas charged rhyolitic or andesitic magma to the surface.
The term "super" in supercontinent signifies that the landmass is exceedingly large or extensive compared to regular continents. It implies a higher level of size or scale in the context of geology and plate tectonics.
Because Austrailia is NOT on the Ring of Fire. The Ring of Fire is a "ring" where volcanoes and earthquakes mark. Also, Austrailia doesn't touch a plate, but I don't mean a DINNER plate. I mean a LAND plate. Earthquakes moastly happen when two plates overlap and shake the land or a volcano errupts.
The two sub-layers of the earth's crust (lithosphere) that move,float&sometimes fracture & whose interaction causes continental drift, earthquake, volcanoes, mountains & oceanic trenches