“The fact that the continents that make up the Earth’s surface move a few centimeters each year may be a harbinger of radical change in the future.”
Oku.AzAccording to information cited by “Sputnik-Türkiye”, the head of the Department of Geophysical Engineering at Istanbul University, Professor Dr. Mumtaz Hisarli stated what he thought.
According to him, throughout the history of the Earth the continents have joined and separated.
“The supercontinent Pangea, which existed 300 million years ago, disintegrated over time and formed the current continents. However, the process is not over. Continental movements continue and within 250 million years America, Africa and Eurasia could come back together,” he explained. .
How do continents move?
Professor Hisarli linked the movement of the continents with convection currents in the warm mantle layer beneath the lithosphere layer.
“The enormous movement of heat within the mantle moves the continents like conveyor belts at an airport. This process has been occurring for 4 billion years and in the future will lead to new continental mergers and completely change the appearance of the Earth” , he added.
According to the expert, the movement of the continents affects not only the shapes of the surface, but also the Earth’s magnetic field.
“The magnetic field plays a fundamental role in maintaining life on Earth. There have been periods in the past when this magnetic field has reversed. In the future, the magnetic field may change, which may be related to the displacement of the continents,” he explained.
Hidden information from World War II
Dr. Hisarli highlighted the importance of the information obtained on continental movements. He said that ocean floor data collected during World War II was kept secret for a long time, but after the war this information was revealed to scientists. According to him, these data played an important role in understanding the drift of continents and the magnetic structure of the Earth.
What happens if the continents merge?
The scientist stated that the union of the continents will cause changes not only geographical, but also geological and climatic.
“The melting will lead to the formation of huge mountains and an increase in volcanic activity. However, this situation will not directly change the climate, but the volcanic activity will cause the accumulation of gases in the atmosphere, which can cause temporary climate changes” . the professor added.
He said the prospect of the continents coming together in 250 million years is both exciting and terrifying.
“As in the past, the Earth’s surface may once again be the scene of radical changes,” Hisarli said.
