Analyze the map below and answer the question that follows. Image courtesy of USGS In a short paragraph, explain the basics of the theory of plate tectonics. What does continental drift tell us about what happened to these plates in the past?

Answer:

The theory of plate tectonics states that Earth’s rigid outer layer is divided into large plates that slowly move over the softer asthenosphere. As the plates separate, collide, or slide past one another, they form features such as mountains, volcanoes, trenches, and earthquake zones. Continental drift shows that the continents were once joined together in the supercontinent Pangaea and gradually moved apart as the plates shifted to their present locations.