what are the tectonic plates How were the continents formed
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Answer:
tectonic plates is also called the lithosphere plates
Answer:
A tectonic plate (also called lithospheric plate) is a massive, irregularly shaped slab of solid rock, generally composed of both continental and oceanic lithosphere. Plate size can vary greatly, from a few hundred to thousands of kilometers across; the Pacific and Antarctic Plates.
Continents are formed because of tectonics plate . During the Proterozoic Eon there were hundreds of small pieces of crust floating on the mantle. These first land masses were small continents and island arcs. They collided with each other because of plate tectonics.
3 The pieces of crust hit so hard, they jammed together. At the boundaries, much energy was released. The land fused together.
4 By 2.5 billion years ago, about one-fourth of the earth's crust was formed. These ancient land masses were known as shields. They moved all the time. Larger bodies collided with smaller ones. Mountains were formed at the edges. Lava flowed and welded these pieces together.