It’s now widely accepted that the formation of supercontinents like Pangea can be explained by plate tectonics—the scientific theory which states that Earth’s surface is made up of a system of plates that float on top of a deeper plastic layer. Earth’s tectonic plates collide with and dive beneath one another at convergent boundaries, pull away from one another at divergent boundaries, and shift laterally past one another at transform boundaries. Continents combine to form supercontinents like Pangea every 300 to 500 million years before splitting apart again. Many geologists argue that continents merge as an ocean (such as the Atlantic Ocean) widens, spreading at divergent boundaries. Over time, as the landmasses collide in the limited space remaining, a Pangea-sized supercontinent forms.
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