GEO 102 History of the Earth Term Paper. History of Earth Termences

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Continental Formation and Movements
Introduction
The history of earth provides a wealth of information into how various features of the terrestrial planet came into the occurrence and continue to develop up to date. The continents, for instance, form one of the remarkable features raising diverse views or theories among scholars seeking to unveil underlying forces behind the phenomenal formation. The distinct landscapes coupled with natural occurrences such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes form a larger part of geological debates, studies, and discussion. Among the interesting features for geologist around the world is the continental drift and movement of the earth’s crust since its formation billions of years ago. The earth’s crust has over the years shifted its position leading to the continuous development of new landscapes and natural events leading to a quest for scientific deliberations and explanations on the same. Consequently, several theories and concepts emerged as various individuals sought to unveil the underlying reasons for the perceived continental drifts and its subsequent influences on different features and occurrences on earth. A comprehensive analysis of some of the existing theories behind continental drift is of importance towards understanding the forces behind the shaping the continents, their defining structural characteristics as well as the dispersion and occurrence of certain natural events.
An observation of the earth’s continent reveals some geometry between various continents suggesting that it was once attached. Geologists or rather the geographical analysis of the continental coastlines of South America and Africa, for instance, showcase the two continents fitting each other like pieces of a jigsaw CITATION Ben81 \l 1033 (Ben-Avraham). The German climatologist, Alfred Wegener, was among the first scholars to propose the continental drift theory as an explanation for the fitting jigsaw observation. According to Wegener, it was the movement of the earth’s crust that accounted for the positioning of the continents and the surrounding landscapes CITATION Weg12 \l 1033 (Wegener). The continental drift theory further suggested that the continents once formed part of a single landmass whose shifting over the years was responsible for its current positioning. Alfred Wegener’s proposal gained popularity and criticism in almost the same measure while also inviting extensive research into the movement of the earth’s crust since its formation CITATION Nal17 \l 1033 (Naliboff). Scholars across various scientific divides have come with equally distinct theories and concepts with supporting evidence as they seek to understand the phenomenon of continental formation and motion. Provided herein are some of the proposed indications behind the continental drift and the creation of continents as they stand with the aim of establishing the most convincing or rather unifying theory on the same. It is without a doubt that the formation of continents and its movements of over the 4.5 billion years of the earth’s history equally creates a lot of interest from the academic world across various disciplines. Alfred Wegen...