Question

Dr. Moore and his team have learned from GPS data that two continents with an ocean between them have been moving toward each other. Some students living on the coast of one of these continents don’t understand what is happening and they are worried that the continents will run into each other. How could Dr. Moore explain to them what is happening? summary

Answer 1

Dr. Moore can explain to the students that the movement of continents is a natural part of plate tectonics, where large sections of the Earth's crust shift and move over time. He can clarify that while the continents are indeed moving toward each other, this process occurs at a very slow rate—often just a few centimeters per year. Dr. Moore can reassure them that, instead of running into each other abruptly, the movement can lead to geological changes over millions of years, resulting in phenomena like mountain formation or changes in oceanic conditions. He might also emphasize that this is a normal process in Earth's history, explaining that similar movements have happened in the past without catastrophic events.