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The movement of continents is called the theory of continental drift. It is based upon the theory that the contininents are floating are large tectonic plates that are moved by seafloor spreading which is the same process that creates new land.

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Devin Kling

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What is the very slow movement of the continents is called?

Continental Drift


What is the name of the idea that first describe the movement of continents?

The idea that first described the movement of continents is called continental drift. Proposed by Alfred Wegener in the early 20th century, it suggested that Earth's continents were once connected in a supercontinent called Pangaea and have since drifted apart.


What was the name of theory for the movement of the continents?

The theory for the movement of the continents is called "continental drift." It was developed by Alfred Wegener in the early 20th century and later evolved into the theory of plate tectonics.


How has the movement of the continents affected the distribution of species?

what has the movement of the continents done to species


What is a continental shift?

A continental shift refers to the movement of continents on the Earth's surface due to plate tectonics. This movement is very slow, occurring over millions of years, and can result in changes to the configuration of the continents and the ocean basins. Examples of continental shifts include the breakup of Pangaea into the continents we see today.


How did the continents get so far apart?

The movement of tectonic plates, which make up the Earth's outer shell, caused the continents to drift apart over millions of years in a process called continental drift. This movement is driven by forces in the Earth's mantle, leading to the current positions of the continents.


What was the process called when the continents where separated from the process called Pangaea?

continental drift. they are still moving today, but only at about 2.5 cm a year.


When continents break apart into separate land masses what it is called?

When continents break apart into separate land masses, it is called continental drift or plate tectonics. This process is driven by the movement of the Earth's lithospheric plates.


Wegener thought that all continents where called?

Wegener believed that all continents were once part of a supercontinent called Pangaea, which began breaking apart about 200 million years ago. He proposed the theory of continental drift to explain the movement of the continents over time.


What is the mechanism that causes the continents to move called?

The mechanism that causes continents to move is called plate tectonics. It is driven by the movement of the Earth's lithosphere, which is divided into plates that float on the semi-fluid asthenosphere beneath them. This movement is responsible for phenomena like earthquakes, volcanic activity, and the shifting of continents over time.


Why have the continents formed like they are?

Continents have formed through a process called plate tectonics, where landmasses on Earth's outer shell (lithosphere) are broken into pieces (plates) that move relative to each other. This movement causes the continents to drift and collide, leading to the formations we see today. The current arrangement of continents is the result of millions of years of this movement and collision.


When continents break apart into separate land masses it is called?

When continents break apart into separate land masses, it is called continental drift. This process is driven by the movement of tectonic plates in the Earth's lithosphere.