Continental collision
Okay kiddo, imagine you have two big pieces of paper, and you are pushing them towards each other with your hands. As they get closer and closer, their edges start to crinkle up and fold over each other. That's kind of what happens when two continents collide.
But why do they collide in the first place? Well, it all has to do with something called plate tectonics. The Earth's surface is divided up into a bunch of big plates that are constantly moving around. Sometimes these plates move towards each other, and when they do, they can collide.
When continents start to collide, it's a slow process that can take a really long time, like millions of years. As they come together, the rocks and dirt and mountains on their edges start to squish and deform, sort of like a squeeze toy. This can cause earthquakes and create new mountains.
Over time, the continents can fuse together and become one big continent. For example, millions of years ago, North and South America were separate continents. But as they moved towards each other, they collided and became one big continent we call the Americas.
So, that's continental collision in a nutshell. It's like pushing two pieces of paper together and watching them crinkle and fold, except on a really big scale and over a really long time.
But why do they collide in the first place? Well, it all has to do with something called plate tectonics. The Earth's surface is divided up into a bunch of big plates that are constantly moving around. Sometimes these plates move towards each other, and when they do, they can collide.
When continents start to collide, it's a slow process that can take a really long time, like millions of years. As they come together, the rocks and dirt and mountains on their edges start to squish and deform, sort of like a squeeze toy. This can cause earthquakes and create new mountains.
Over time, the continents can fuse together and become one big continent. For example, millions of years ago, North and South America were separate continents. But as they moved towards each other, they collided and became one big continent we call the Americas.
So, that's continental collision in a nutshell. It's like pushing two pieces of paper together and watching them crinkle and fold, except on a really big scale and over a really long time.