What’s Causing The Continents To Move Again?

Think about Africa and South America. They seem to go well together, don’t they? Like bits of a puzzle, you know? They did, in fact. However, South America said goodbye and began to gradually disappear more than 130 million years ago. It is currently 1,800 miles away from Africa and is still travelling.

The continent moves closer to the Pacific Ocean each year. How is that even taking place, then? Tectonic plates move all the time. This explains why the Earth’s surface has evolved into its current shape over time. However, these movements are so subtle that neither you nor I can detect them.

Every year, the continent gets a little bit closer to the Pacific Ocean. So how is that even happening? Tectonic plates are constantly shifting.

This explains why the Earth’s surface has changed over time to take on its current form. But such motions happen so slowly that neither you nor I can notice them. Our planet’s internal heat is the cause. Magma, or extremely hot melted rock, rises via fissures in the Earth’s crust located far below the ocean.

The magma cools and solidifies into rock as a result. This process could eventually create underwater mountains similar to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

Additionally, the older crust starts to give way to the newly formed crust. Tectonic plates and the continents that sit above them are forced forward during this process. The Naza plate is located near the Pacific Ocean on the opposite side of South America. It is travelling eastward and is heavier.

It is moving beneath the South American plate because it is denser. We refer to this entire process as subduction. And it’s occurring roughly three times a year. By the way, all of the stunning volcanoes that dot the Andes are the result of the collision between these two plates.

Additionally, it is causing the continent to shift. Therefore, predictions indicate that South America will eventually become more centred on the Pacific Ocean if all goes as planned. However, some models imply something far more bizarre. However, there’s something we need to clarify before we go into that.

Why in the world isn’t Africa doing what South America has done? Shouldn’t it also be drifting west? Not exactly, actually. Due to its location on the African plate, Africa is acting independently. Therefore, between those two continents is where the Mid-Atlantic ridge lies.

Additionally, it pushes the African plate in the opposite way from that which it pushes the South American plate. You know, this ridge seems to be attempting to break up two former best friends. There’s more, though. The East African split is also having an impact on Africa.

It’s one of those huge fissures we discussed earlier, but it’s particularly spectacular since it’s occurring on land. The continent is gradually separating as a result of this. The rift is dragging Africa in more directions than South America has ever had to contend with, but that’s a lengthy story.

Alright, it’s time to finally discuss that more bizarre scenario that could perhaps affect South America and its surrounding regions in the future. The first theory is that it might separate from North America. Super dramatic, I know, but don’t freak out. In the hundreds of millions of years that follow, I won’t be here.

As you can see, both continents are travelling at different rates but in the same general direction. South America is moving a little more quickly than the North American plate, which is humming along at roughly one inch each year.

Thus, they are not keeping up even though they are travelling in the same direction. The Americas may someday be torn apart by all of this tectonic upheaval as the Atlantic Ocean keeps getting wider and the Pacific Ocean keeps getting smaller.

The second theory is that there may be significant changes in marine life. The Americas currently serve as a massive barrier separating the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Sea animals have evolved differently on each side as a result. For instance, consider the green sea turtle.

They are often larger and lighter in colour when they live in the Atlantic. Their Pacific counterparts, on the other hand, are often darker and smaller. However, these two populations would eventually have new migration routes, new nesting locations, and much greater overlap in their territories if there was no land preventing them from mixing.

Things may get exceedingly tumultuous if you multiply that scenario by hundreds of other species. Unexpected competition, novel interactions, and maybe the emergence of whole new species are all on the table. Alright, the third theory.

Africa and America may cross paths again. The mid-Atlantic ridge is currently working on forming a new seafloor. As a result, the Atlantic Ocean is gradually expanding. However, experts think that process might halt after 125 million years.

The ocean floor may begin to be drawn beneath the continents rather than spreading apart. The Atlantic will thereafter cease to grow and begin to contract. Additionally, the first area to be sucked under the surface is probably the waterway between South America and Africa.

Africa and the Americas might reunite as a result. And when that occurs, border nations may become extremely unstable, experiencing frequent earthquakes and the emergence of new volcanoes everywhere. Like the Cascade Range in the west,

the eastern United States would now be known for snow-covered giants that periodically spew ash and lava instead of the tranquil green slopes of the Appalachians. Nations would have whole new neighbours. Brazil may align itself with Cameroon and Nigeria.

Argentina may share a border with South Africa, and Uruguay may be located directly adjacent to Angola. How severe would the merging of these two continents be, then? To begin with, this new superc continent would immediately surpass Asia in size, making it the largest continent on Earth.

Additionally, it’s likely that a new mountain range would emerge at the meeting point of the continents, forming a natural border between countries. Many things could be much simpler if we were all on the same huge continent.

For starters, tourism might flourish. A gamecher is someone who travels by land between nations without the need for expensive airline tickets. However, it wouldn’t end there. A significant boost could also be given to other forms of economic activity.

South America, on the other hand, already produces and markets a vast array of goods, including wheat, bananas, meat, chocolate, soybeans, eggs, and more. Africa, on the other hand, exports goods like textiles.

and apparel. When it comes to trading raw materials, that alone would make them an extremely potent block. However, can you think of another significant similarity between these two continents? Petroleum, indeed.

South American nations that export a lot of oil include Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil. Nigeria, Algeria, and Libya are also following suit in Africa. Can you see now the potential strength of that kind of union? Let’s talk about animals in the meanwhile.

The convergence of these two enormous regions may result in unexpected encounters, such as a sloth spotting a hyena from a treetop or a capy bear occupying the same space as a Nile crocodile. This might even result in the appearance of novel animal hybrids, such as sloth hyenas or cabbie crocodiles.

Well, those weren’t the most ingenious names, and to be honest, these animals wouldn’t want to mate or even be able to, but you get the idea, don’t you? Sadly, it’s not all good news. When new species appear, they may become rivals, predators, or even parasites of the local flora and fauna.

It would take a long time for those border areas to find a new equilibrium. To be honest, though, nobody can tell how long it would take. All I know is that neither of us will be present to witness it, which is OK. There is a bridge in Asia that is much longer than you might imagine is even feasible.

The HZMB spans 34 miles of open water, making it the longest sea bridge in the world. So if something this big can survive in rough seas, why can’t New Zealand just build a bridge to connect its two main islands?

In the end, we’re talking about a mere 14 miles. And a bridge like that may significantly change the lives of both locals and tourists. From Wellington, individuals may easily enter car and travel to Pikton. There will just be one amazing road excursion with vistas of the ocean on both sides—no more ferry problems or lengthy trips.

So what’s stopping them? It appears to be everything. Although building a bridge there is physically possible, experts say there are a few reasons why it might not be practical. Let’s start by discussing the obvious: distance. Both the North and South Islands

Cook Straight separates the islands. As I mentioned, its narrowest point is 14 miles wide. Not much of that is accurate. Furthermore, the HZMB bridge serves as evidence that, yes, it is theoretically feasible to construct a bridge across the ocean to span that distance.

However, we cannot overlook the reality that the geography of New Zealand is very different. Cook Straight isn’t exactly a serene, welcoming area. It’s profound. Very deep. A portion of it descends to roughly 10,000 feet. It would be equivalent to piling seven Empire State buildings on top of one another.

Additionally, it’s a dark, rocky section of the ocean that enjoys flinging ships around like rubber ducks. Actually, a good number of them have been destroyed in Cook Straight. Unfortunately, a lot of lives were lost. However, since the greatest catastrophes occurred a long time ago, you don’t need to worry about it as much.

Today, the fairies and ships that traverse it are far safer. It would be difficult to avoid seasickness when crossing it, though. Below the surface, things become much more chaotic. Over there, the seafloor is erratic and irregular.

As a result, Cook Straight experiences conflicting tides at both ends. One is where it joins the Pacific Ocean, while the other is when it meets the Tasmin Sea. Furthermore, they just don’t move in unison as you might anticipate. The tide is low on one side when it is high on the other. Additionally, they are completely out of sync.

In order to balance things out, all that water rushes back and forth along the straight, resulting in some quite powerful and untidy currents in the centre. The weather comes next. In addition to being windy, Cook Straight is arguably one of the windiest locations in the southern hemisphere.

The reason for this is that it is situated directly in the centre of one of the three major wind tunnels in New Zealand. In essence, the wind doesn’t always come and go swiftly in some locations. For the most of the year, it continues to blow strongly.

And the Roaring Forties are the reason behind all of this. The latitude range between 40 and 50° south of the equator, where strong, persistent westerly winds are rather prevalent, is known by that name. With so much land at this latitude in the northern hemisphere,

With only a few land masses, such as Tasmania, the southern tip of South America, and the South Island of New Zealand, the southern hemisphere is primarily oceanic. There is nothing to slow these winds down, so they just keep getting faster and faster. There, gusts of up to 150 mph are possible.

Therefore, picture yourself attempting to cross a bridge while driving and the wind is actively working against you. That is extremely dangerous in addition to being uncomfortable. Wind can force cars sideways, making it easy for drivers to lose control.

Naturally, that can result in a great number of dangerous mishaps. Let’s now discuss earthquakes. The Indo-Australian and Pacific plates, two enormous tectonic plates, are directly adjacent to New Zealand. It is essentially at the centre of a collision zone, and the nation experiences over 14,000 earthquakes annually.

Only roughly 200 of those are large enough to be touched. Nevertheless, it would take some truly brilliant engineering to construct a huge bridge in these circumstances. Considering all of these, we can declare with confidence that the bridge concept is no longer viable.

However, what about a tunnel that is underwater? Yes, that might be effective. In fact, that might be a very good answer. No severe weather, no wind, and no earthquakes to contend with. There are other additional benefits as well.

First, the three to four-hour sailing trip between the North and South Islands would be drastically shortened. It would likely only take forty minutes to do that same trip. Then, passengers wouldn’t have to worry about the numerous boat delays and cancellations brought on by inclement weather. And above all, it is possible.

Take the Channel Tunnel, for example. Southern England and Northern France are connected by this underwater tunnel. With the Seikhan Tunnel, which links the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido, Japan took a same approach. Both of them are massive endeavours with essentially the same goal.

So why in the world isn’t this tunnel being built in New Zealand already? We all don’t live in opulent tree houses with personal robots, for the same reason. Cash. A project like this may cost anywhere between $10 billion and $20 billion, according to some experts, but estimates vary.

They would most likely have to impose tolls for the next century in order to pay for that kind of expense. And those tolls wouldn’t be inexpensive, I assure you. As you can see, we have to account for all the additional infrastructure, thus other experts believe the actual cost may be higher. The Cook Straight narrows between Arapoa Island and the North Island.

That is one of the more isolated mountainous areas in the Marro Sounds. Therefore, the price of the bridge or tunnel itself is not the only consideration. It also includes the plans for maintenance, evacuation, safety systems, and access routes.

A massive undersea tunnel cannot be constructed without contingency for unforeseen circumstances. And for what purpose would it be used? Indeed, there are those who make the journey from one island to another. Approximately one million people use the ferry each year. However, the most costly infrastructure investment in the nation’s history isn’t exactly justified by that level of traffic.

We already discussed the similarities between Japan’s underwater tunnels and England’s. However, there is something to think about. There are 69 million people living in the United Kingdom. With a population of almost 123 million, Japan has even more.

Additionally, just 5 million people live in New Zealand, making it impossible to finance this project. So, is it possible for them to have a tunnel beneath Cook Straight? Indeed, they could. Must they? Most likely not. Ferries are the only alternative means of transportation between the islands if you don’t wish to fly.

It’s not perfect, but at least it’s functional. There are five ships in New Zealand that move people and cars between the islands. It is ideal for tourists who are not in a hurry. Crossing the islands allows you to see some of the most breathtaking scenery and incredible animals.

Your journey will begin in Wellington, and when you venture out into open waters, you’ll be able to see the untamed North Island coastline. Various seabirds, like as gulls and turns, may be visible. Additionally, you may see several ganets as you approach the South Island.

You might also be fortunate enough to see the seal colonies off the coast. The ferry will slow down in the final hour of the journey, allowing you ample opportunity to take in the serene seas and verdant hills. Additionally, you will come close to Queen Charlotte Sound, a wildlife hotspot.

Thus, be on the lookout for penguins, playful dolphins, and orcas. In all honesty, it might not be so horrible to have a ferry rather than a tunnel. It turns out that driving between South America and North America is not possible. And there’s a straightforward explanation. The two continents are not connected by any roadways, not even a basic one.

In theory, you could attempt to cross on foot, but trust me when I say that would be a very, very bad idea. The Darian Gap is the area that separates the two continents. It crosses the northern region of Colombia and the Darien Province in southern Panama.

A 60-mile jungle trail is the only land route. It may take three to ten days to cross. The weather, the weight you’re carrying, and, to be honest, plain old luck all play a role. This isn’t just a leisurely nature walk, therefore chance is a major factor.

It is a rough, hostile environment that is renowned for being one of the most dangerous places on Earth and for being totally isolated. People appear to disregard that, though, and still go there. The number of individuals crossing simply continues increasing each year. Less than 10,000 individuals crossed the gap in 2014.

That figure rose to 520,000 in 2023. Now, you may be asking yourself, why are so many individuals facing all that danger in the centre of the two American continents? That’s because refugees are now using the Darian Gap as a path to North America.

However, they encounter numerous risks along route, ranging from severe fractures to illnesses and insect stings. We are discussing a no man’s land. Immigrants also have to be on the lookout for robbers because there are no police stations. They are forced to rely on and help one another along the road.

The majority of individuals begin the crossing with a tent or tarp, rain boots, food, and water. However, these goods quickly get heavy, and most individuals are unable to carry enough provisions for the whole trip. People eventually start consuming river water to stay hydrated. However, digestive problems are caused by the water’s high bacterial and debris content.

Furthermore, no medical assistance is available there if the situation worsens. The harsh weather, which frequently reaches beyond 95° F, makes the situation even worse. Nowadays, a tiny percentage of visitors to the Darian Gap are avid adventurers and tourists seeking a jungle survival experience.

However, a leisurely holiday is not possible in this area. In 2023, a group of visitors contracted jungle rot, a fungus that damages the foot. The situation deteriorated to the point where, on the final day, the group had to carry out a woman who was unable to walk.

Regardless of one’s level of readiness for the daring gap, survival ultimately depends mostly on chance. There aren’t many cities with good infrastructure where tourists can stay overnight and get ready for the next day. They may come across simple camps in the middle of the jungle in some places.

Additionally, the region receives a lot of rain all the time, which can cause landslides, flash floods, and very muddy conditions. Even the faces and t-shirts of those who manage to cross get plastered in mud because the situation becomes so dire. Additionally, they will have to cross numerous swift-moving rivers.

According to a Venezuelan father who recently visited the region with his two children, their sneakers tore apart on the first day. The rivers have that kind of power. They’re also deep. There are occasions when the water reaches their shoulders. However, the risks there are not new.

The Darian Gap was believed to be insurmountable for millennia. Latin America was viewed as a sort of jungle training school by the first European explorers who set foot there. They were fully aware of his risks. Nevertheless, in the years that followed, a lot of explorers attempted to cross.

For instance, an expedition that was struggling with fatigue and malnutrition in the bush vanished for 49 days in 1854. However, a group of 100 men attempted to cross it in 1870. They suffered greatly on the trip despite being well-prepared and carrying state-of-the-art equipment at the time.

It features 24 craters dispersed over the region rather than a single large peak. Its largest eruption occurred approximately 40,000 years ago, with the most recent occurring in 1538. A particularly cold volcanic winter resulted from that explosion, which coated the entire Mediterranean region in ash and caused temperatures in Eastern Europe to plummet by as much as 16.2° F.

It might be quite dangerous if Campy Flaggery exploded once more today. It might blanket Naples and the surrounding areas with ash, resulting in landslides and earthquakes, as well as acid rain and air pollution.

Particularly after a 4.4 magnitude earthquake rocked the region in March 2025, scientists are monitoring it. The good news is that an eruption is not anticipated anytime soon because there is currently no indication that magma is rising to the surface. However, specialists continue to keep a close eye on it because of the high level of volcanic activity in Italy.

One of the most well-known volcanoes in the world is Mount Vuvius, which is located in Italy. It is famous for burying the Roman cities of Pompei and Hercilania in its massive eruption in 79 CE. The volcano hasn’t erupted since 1944. Today,

The fact that more than 3 million people live close to Vuvius makes it considerably more dangerous. Its slopes are home to some 700,000 unauthorized residents, further increasing their risk. Another eruption of the volcano may wipe out Naples and wreak significant damage by sending boulders and ash hurtling into the air at about 100 miles per hour.

Scientists continue to assume that a major eruption from Vuvius is unlikely to occur for another hundred years. However, scientists are still keeping an eye on it because it is still an active volcano. Part of the Canary Islands, the island of La Palma is home to the volcano Kumbra Vieja. In 2021, it last erupted.

Lava gushed from the volcano during that eruption and travelled all the way to the sea. Fortunately, thousands of people were safely evacuated, so it wasn’t as severe as it could have been, even though it damaged nearly 3,000 homes.

In the past, experts were concerned that a massive eruption may shatter the volcano’s entire western side and send it crashing into the ocean. A super tsunami might result from this, spreading enormous waves over the Atlantic Ocean hundreds of feet high.

Recent research, however, indicates that this is highly unlikely to occur. The U.S. state of Washington is home to the volcano Mount St. Helens. In May 1980, it produced a huge explosion that killed fifty-seven people. The largest known landslide was also brought on by that eruption.

Ash shot fifteen miles into the sky as hot, pressurized magma blasted from the volcano. Approximately 230 square miles of land were devastated, and a vast region was coated in ash. It is anticipated that Mount St. Helens will erupt once more in the future, perhaps even during our lifetimes.

However, because of a large crater that has now formed at the top, geologists predict it is unlikely to see another massive sideways blow like the one that occurred in 1980. It will alter the potential eruption pattern of the volcano. Mexico’s Popocate Patil is a large active volcano.

Since the early 2000s, it has been intermittently erupting slowly. For many people, it’s quite close. Only 30 meters from Pueba, which is home to over 6 million people, and 40 miles from the Mexico City metropolitan region, which is home to nearly 22 million people.

Mexico City might be covered in heavy ash up to eight inches deep if Popo Catapil had a massive eruption. That ash has the potential to clog sewers, contaminate water supplies, and even cut off power.

Even worse, cities nearby could be destroyed by swift-moving lava and extremely hot flows known as pyrolastic flows that rush down the mountain. After 50 years of silence, the volcano suddenly rumbles and tremors quite frequently. More than a dozen minor eruptions have occurred, some of which occurred as recently as February 2024.

Scientists say this isn’t very surprising and they’re closely monitoring the ash that buried some surrounding areas. That concludes today. Therefore, if you have satisfied your curiosity, please like and share the content with your friends.

Read More: About History And Much More