continents' motion

Continents move because they are part of the Earth's outer shell called tectonic plates. These plates drift on the semi-fluid mantle beneath them, driven by heat and convection currents. Over millions of years, this movement causes continents to shift, collide, and drift apart, shaping Earth's surface. This process explains the arrangement of continents today and can cause earthquakes and volcanic activity along plate boundaries. The movement is very slow, typically a few centimeters per year, but over geological time it dramatically changes Earth's geography.