The lithosphere

A closer look at the land on which we stand

How did continents form? The lithosphere has been around since the formation of the Earth, but it has been hypothesised that all land was once joined together. This supercontinent is called Pangaea, Greek for ‘all lands.’ The theory goes that as the tectonic plates split apart, they pulled the various landmasses with them, forming the continents we know today. If you look closely, South America and Africa fit together well, with North America slotting neatly into the middle. Further evidence for Pangaea comes in the form of fossils found in both Africa and South America. The animals that formed the fossils are unlikely to have lived in both continents unless they were once conjoined. Cutting through the Earth What would the Earth would look like if you sliced a 100km (62mi) section out of…

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How It Works Book of Incredible Earth (Digital) - 1 Issue, How It Works Book Of Incredible Earth 6th Edition

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