The Moving Continents

摘要

This paper discusses, in tectonic terms, the problem of the individual movements of continental blocks. This process pertains to the all of continents except Eurasia, because of its enormous size and highly complicated and heterogeneous internal structure that includes seven Archean and Proterozoic cratons. However, this does not rule out the motions of some parts of this continent. The individual motions of continents may be regarded as a fault-block form of the tectonic flow of rock masses. This flow varies in direction and intensity and is characteristic of all geospheres residing high above the Earth's core. In compliance with new concept of tectonosphere embracing the whole mantle, the energy sources driving the flow can be localized both at the core-mantle boundary and within the mantle or the crust. The tectonic flow occurs in a geodynamically nonequilibrium medium as a result of gradients in the physical properties of the deep-seated rocks. Mantle convection is a form of energy transfer from its source to the surrounding space.