Among the secret values of geology, talked about in other places within book, are uniformitarianism: the concept one to techniques occurring today plus occurred in for the last. The opposite always is even real; thus, as we keeps noted, brand new plates are swinging, just as he’s got done for scores of years. (Find Secluded Sensing for lots more with this.) Needless to say, its speed befits the fresh new timescale of geologic, rather than person, processes: the fastest-moving dishes is actually careening pass within a spectacular speed out-of 4 inside. (ten cm) per year. A floor underneath Americans’ foot (assuming it live in the fresh continental Us, east of your own Juan de- Fuca) was floating in the speed of 1.2 in the. (step three cm) yearly, which means for the 100 years it has moved on 10 foot. (step three yards).

When Plates Come together.

Plates work together of the moving to your both (convergence), away from one another (divergence), otherwise earlier each other (transform activity).