The Pangaea super-continent broke up into tectonic plates and these moved into their approximate current locations over the space of a centuries. How do we know? By studying paleomagnetism.
The Speed of Plate Tectonics
Uniformitarianism Applied
A classic example of the use of uniformitarianism is the calculation of how much has time has passed since the tectonic plates formed. Supposedly we can tell how fast the African and American continents are moving apart.
September 13th
The Pangaea super-continent broke up into tectonic plates and these moved into their current locations over the space of a century or so. How do we know? By studying paleomagnetism.