Direct Measurement

Now that scientists have discovered a way to calculate the age of ocean rocks and sediments. They then developed a process to measure the movement of the earth’s plates, since they move in all directions such as colliding, separating or sliding against each other.  

Direct Measurement in addition with laser measurements helps determine the rate and direction of individual plates that are moving. However, the interesting thing is that even though the plates move in one direction, different plates move at different rates. These forces created fault lines that caused volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis.

The significance of knowing the direction of plates for the theory of continental drift, is that it explains a force responsible for the movement of continents. A problem Alfred Wegener was unable to explain when he first proposed his theory.

 As shown in the picture, near the South American plate and African plate there is an example of plate divergence, indicating that were joined but since then spread apart, due to the forces of plate movement.