Answer» - In the beginning, probably all continents were held together.
- Later the earth’s lithosphere is broken up into several pieces, just like the pieces of a large jigsaw puzzle and thus continental plates formed.
- These pieces, on which all the continents and oceans are actually situated, are called “Plates”.
- They float on soft layer of the mantle.
- There are about seven major plates and several minor plates on the earth.
- As the plates move, they push, pull, slide, rise, sink, bend and break.
- Sometimes one plate meets another, the incoming plate dips under the stable plate.
- In fact the incoming plate actually goes into the mantle of the earth and becomes molten due to the heat of the mantle.
- That is how some plates are eventually destroyed.
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