How did the continents drift apart?
Puzzle Earth
How did the continents drift apart?
Look at a map of the world. See how the east coast of South America fits into the west coast of Africa like puzzle pieces? That's not a coincidence. About 200 million years ago, all the continents were smooshed together in one giant supercontinent called Pangaea. Then they started drifting apart — and they're still moving today, right under your feet.
The secret is that Earth's surface isn't one solid shell. It's broken into huge pieces called tectonic plates, like a cracked eggshell that's still held together. These plates float on top of a layer of hot, gooey rock called the mantle. The mantle flows very, very slowly — about as fast as your fingernails grow.
