A1BTC Plate Tectonics and Continental Drift Discussion

Unit 2: Plate Tectonics and Continental Drift

Part A

Scientists predict that Africa is going to smash into Europe as Australia migrates north to merge with Asia. Meanwhile the Atlantic Ocean will probably widen for a spell before it reverses course and later disappears. View this link https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2000/ast06oct_1 (Links to an external site.) for information related to the above statement, then research additional information about present plate motion to predict future continental positions. Using the information that you find, discuss the landmass formation that will occur if they have predicted correctly. What significant change may occur if this would happen? What changes would occur if this were to happen quickly in today’s world?

Part B

“Two hundred and fifty million years ago the land masses of Earth were clustered into one supercontinent dubbed Pangea. As Yogi Berra might say, it looks like “deja vu all over again” as the present-day continents slowly converge during the next 250 million years to form another mega-continent: Pangea Ultima”. Use this link https://dinosaurpictures.org/ancient-earth#470 (Links to an external site.) to see what Earth looked like where you live today. In the top left corner submit the name of your city, state, and country and review what Earth looked like many years ago. Share with your classmates what Earth looked like from your location. In the upper right hand corner you can also research the different events that took place over thousands of years past. What did the continents look like during the Juriassic Period?