The Development of Tectonic Plates
tectonic plates are actively tearing Africa apart, a change that will radically alter the planet. However, despite their significance, scientists are still uncertain about the origins of the tectonic plates.
There is no agreement on how the tectonic plates originated, and scientists also disagree on their formation timeline. Some contend that plate tectonics have been in effect for nearly 4 billion years, making them nearly as ancient as the Earth itself. Other geologists argue against this, claiming the plates are only about 1 billion years old. The truth likely lies somewhere in between, but this is merely scratching the surface.
Regarding the formation of tectonic plates, numerous theories have arisen over the years. One perspective suggests that the plates emerged as the Earth’s crust initially cooled, though there is still debate on how those specific boundaries were established. Recently, innovative theories have surfaced, including the intriguing notion that Earth’s crust might have originally been a single unit that later fragmented due to internal stress. This ambiguity is exasperating, prompting the question: why are scientists unable to solve this mystery?
