continent: (in geology) The massive land lots that sit upon tectonic plates. In trendy occasions, there are six established geologic continents: North America, South America, Eurasia, Africa, Australia and Antarctica. In 2017, scientists additionally made the case for yet one more: Zealandia.
crust: (in geology) Earth’s outermost floor, often constituted of dense, strong rock (in planetary science) the outermost floor of rocky planets, dwarf planets and pure satellites.
fuse: (v.) To merge two issues collectively, usually alongside some seam.
Gondwana: One among Earth’s two supercontinents that existed through the Devonian Interval, which ran from roughly 416 million years in the past to 360 million years in the past. It’s when a few of the earliest vegetation emerged, initially with no leaves or roots. By the tip of this era, ferns and seed vegetation had developed. Some shellfish and trilobites shared the oceans with numerous fishes. And plenty of wingless arthropods (ancestors to spiders and bugs) colonized the land.
Pangaea: (or Pangea) A supercontinent that existed from about 300 to 200 million years in the past. It was composed of the entire main continents seen in the present day, squished collectively.
supercontinent: Any of a number of giant landmasses that divided within the historic geologic previous to type in the present day’s continents. Notable examples of supercontinents embrace notably Pangaea, Gondwana and Laurasia.
tectonic: Floor exercise on a big rocky physique (similar to a planet or moon) as liquid rock flows as much as the floor the place it solidifies, then slowly drifts atop molten rock, carrying floor options with it.
tectonic plates: The large slabs — some spanning 1000’s of kilometers (or miles) throughout — that make up Earth’s outer layer.
