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Some geologists consider that the rocks near the surface of the Earth can be divided into two broad classes. Sial which contains less dense minerals, and Sima which contains denser minerals.

(These names may have been overtaken, but the principle holds.)

The Sial floats on the molten layers in the Earth, and the Sima is of similar density to the molten layers, so it sinks that far.

Earlier than about 800 Ma (million years ago) there was a single continent we call Pangaea. With an ocean around it.

This eventually divided into two super continents called Gondwana and Laurasia. The southern and northern continents respectively. A few hundred Ma these super continents in turn started to break up, and creating Australia, S Africa, and so on.

This process is named Continental Drift or Plate Tectonics.

This breakup may have been merely the latest episode of similar events in the past.

About 80 Ma the Indian sub continent left Africa, from near Madagascar, and migrated north to collide with the Eurasian plate.

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Herminia Hayes

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3y ago

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Do some scientists think the continents once formed a single landmass?

Yes, the theory of continental drift suggests that the Earth's continents were once joined together in a single landmass called Pangaea. This theory is supported by evidence such as the matching shapes of continents, distribution of fossils, and geological similarities across continents.


How did the first continents form?

The first continents formed through a process called plate tectonics, where tectonic plates collided and merged over millions of years. These collisions created mountain ranges and landmasses that eventually evolved into the continents we have today. The process is ongoing, with continents continually shifting and changing position.


How a earth history Pangaea formed and what is the sequence till formed continents?

Pangaea formed around 335 million years ago as all the Earth's continents came together to form a supercontinent due to the movement of tectonic plates. Over time, Pangaea began to break apart through the process of continental drift, leading to the formation of the continents we see today. The sequence of continents forming from Pangaea includes Laurasia (North America, Eurasia) and Gondwana (South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia, India) breaking apart and drifting towards their current positions.


When continents converge what structure is formed?

When continents converge, they can form mountain ranges through a process called continental collision. The intense pressure and heat caused by the convergence forces the land masses to fold and uplift, creating large mountain systems. An example of this is the Himalayas, formed by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates.


Which two large landmasses formed when Pangaea first started to separate into separate continents?

When Pangaea first started to separate, two large landmasses formed: Laurasia in the north and Gondwana in the south.

Related Questions

How where continents formed?

continents where formed by under water y=volcanos


What is the name for the supercontinent that once formed all the continents?

Pangaea is the supercontinent that once formed from all the continents.


Which type of mountain is formed by colliding continents?

The type of mountain that is formed by colliding continents is the upward mountain.


What is the supercontinent that formed when the continents combined?

The supercontinent that formed when the continents combined is called Pangaea. It existed around 300 million years ago and eventually broke apart to form the continents we have today.


What is a single landmass once formed by the continents?

Pangaea is the single landmass that was formed by the continents around 335 million years ago. It eventually broke apart into the continents we have today due to the movement of tectonic plates.


A giant landmass from which today's continents were formed?

pangea


What are tectonic plates how were continents formed?

these are the plates under the land and they are spins round and when they meet and they form the continents


What continents collided to for crowders mountain?

Crowders Mountain is part of the Appalachians, which formed during the Alleghenian Orogeny. The mountains formed when the continents of the time, Euramerica and Gondwana, collided to form the supercontinent Pangaea. The sections of the continents that collided correspond to the modern continents of Africa and North America.


How was the rifted valley formed?

The rift valley was formed when the continents divided it split open a large area in Africa and formed The Great Rift Valley.


What is the name of the super continent from which other continents were formed?

The name of the supercontinent from which other continents were formed is Pangaea. It existed around 335 million years ago and eventually broke apart, leading to the formation of the continents we know today.


What is a super continute?

when all the continents where connected a long time ago they formed super continents. example: Pangaea


Which movement of the waves of energy formed by continents?

vertical/horizantal