Continents that move


Plate Tectonics - why the continents move


Moving continents - from the past to the future



TRAVEL THROUGH TIME
WITH THE CONTINENTS

Did you know that?
Chester and the rest of our country, the UK, used to be near the SOUTH POLE!
In 250 million years time, the UK will be near the North Pole, and the world will look very different.
The sandstone in the hills near Chester was formed in a DESERT, 225 million years ago.

These strange facts are true because the continents are, very slowly, moving.
The Earth's crust is formed of several very large pieces, known as 'plates'.
This idea is called 'plate tectonics' ('tectonics' means 'building').
 
This animation shows the plates, with their edges shown in red.
 
Animation from US Geological Survey
 
Powerful currents beneath the crust, in the liquid-like rock beneath, move the plates over millions of years.

Base image from BBC series 'The Power of the Planet'
 

 

 
The animation below shows how today's continents were once part of a super continent called Pangea.
When this began to break up, 200 million years ago, our continents were formed.
They then began to move slowly into the positions they are in today.
 
Animation from US Geological Survey
 
 
 
Look at the map of the world below - the UK is shown in red.
 
 
 
 
Now scroll down the page to
travel through time
with our country!
 
 
 
THE UK'S JOURNEY FROM SOUTH POLE
TO NORTH POLE
Here is where the journey starts - 514 million years ago.
 
Can you see the UK (England & Wales labelled) right down near the South Pole, at the bottom of the map?
 
 
514
million years
ago
UK was cold,
near the South Pole
 
458
million years
ago
 
356
million years
ago

Wet, tropical forests
in the UK
(which turned slowly into coal over millions of years)
 
237
million years
ago

UK was almost
a desert


Cheshire sandstone
begins to form
 
Today
 
 
Now we travel into the far future!
 
 
50
million years
in the future!
 
250
million years
in the future!

Back into the freezer
again for the UK,
up near the
North Pole!
 
The marvellous maps on this page are from the Paleomap Project by
Christopher R Scotese
UK simplified and coloured by Mr Rose - the north and south of the UK and Ireland
were not connected until 300 million years ago, when Pangea formed.

 
 

Plate Tectonics  - more information
Rise of the Continents
Videos from this superb series by Professor Iain Stewart about the creation of our continents.
The Paleomap Project
All the maps on this page came from
this excellent research site.

Plate Tectonics Video
Video explaining the idea,
from the BBC Learning Zone

The rocks of Cheshire
More detailed information about the
geology of Cheshire
(a very interesting site for older readers)