Question

dr. moore and his team have learned from gps data that two continents with an ocean between them have been moving toward each other. some students living on the coast of one of these continents don’t understand what is happening and they are worried that the continents will run into each other. how could dr. moore explain to them what is happening? write here...

Explanation:

Dr. Moore can explain plate tectonics: Earth’s crust is divided into tectonic plates. These two continents lie on plates moving toward each other (convergent boundary). But the movement is extremely slow (a few centimeters per year), so the continents won’t “run into each other” in human lifetimes. The ocean between them may shrink over millions of years, but immediate collision is not a concern.

Answer:

Dr. Moore could explain that the Earth’s outer layer (crust) is made of tectonic plates that slowly move (a few cm/year) due to processes in the mantle. The two continents lie on plates moving toward each other (convergent plate boundary). While the ocean between them may narrow over millions of years, the movement is so slow that the continents won’t collide in a way that causes immediate danger—humans would never witness a sudden “crash” of the continents in their lifetimes.