Pamwamba pa pulaneti lathu silili monolithic; imakhala ndi zotchinga zolimba zotchedwa slabs. Zosintha zonse zamkati - zivomezi, kuphulika kwa mapiri, kutsika ndi kukweza madera ena - zimachitika chifukwa chamatekinoloje - kayendedwe ka mbale zamiyala.
Alfred Wegener anali woyamba kufotokoza lingaliro la kusunthidwa kwa madera osiyana ogwirizana wina ndi mnzake mu 1930 wazaka zapitazo. Anatinso chifukwa chakulumikizana kwanthawi zonse kwa zidutswa zolimba za lithosphere, makontinenti adapangidwa padziko lapansi. Sayansi idalandira chitsimikiziro cha mawu ake mu 1960, ataphunzira pansi pa nyanja, pomwe zosinthazi padziko lapansi zidalembedwa ndi akatswiri azam'madzi ndi akatswiri ofufuza miyala.
Matekinoloje amakono
Pakadali pano, mawonekedwe apadziko lapansi agawika m'magawo akulu akulu 8 ndi magawo angapo ang'onoang'ono. Madera akuluakulu a lithosphere atasunthika mosiyanasiyana, zomwe zili pachovala cha dziko lapansi zimayamba kusokonekera, kuziziritsa, ndikupanga pansi pa Nyanja Yapadziko Lonse, ndikupitilizabe kukankhira mabatani aku kontinenti.
Ngati mbale zitakankhana, ziphuphu zapadziko lonse lapansi zimachitika, limodzi ndi kumizidwa kwa gawo lina lakumunsi mu chovalacho. Nthawi zambiri, pansi pake pamakhala mbale ya m'nyanja, yomwe nkhani zake zimakonzedwa chifukwa cha kutentha, ndikukhala gawo la chovalacho. Nthawi yomweyo, tizinthu tating'onoting'ono tomwe timatumizidwa kumapiri ophulika, zolemera zimakhazikika, zikumira pansi pazovala zamoto zapadziko lapansi, ndikukopeka pachimake.
Mipata ikuluikulu ikagundana, mapangidwe a mapiri amapangidwa. Wina amatha kuwona zofananazo ndikumayandama kwa madzi oundana, pomwe zidutswa zazikulu zamadzi ozizira zimakwera pamwamba pawo, zikuphwanyika ndikuphwanya. Umu ndi momwe pafupifupi mapiri onse padziko lapansi adapangidwira, mwachitsanzo, Himalaya ndi Alps, Pamirs ndi Andes.
Sayansi yamakono yawerengera liwiro loyenda la makontinenti wina ndi mnzake:
- Europe ikubwerera kuchokera kumpoto kwa America pamlingo wa masentimita 5 pachaka;
- Australia "imathawa" ku South Pole ndi masentimita 15 miyezi khumi ndi iwiri iliyonse.
Mbale zothamanga kwambiri zam'madzi zam'madzi, zam'mlengalenga kasanu ndi kawiri.
Chifukwa cha kafukufuku wa asayansi, kunaneneratu zamtsogolo zamayendedwe amitundumitundu, momwe Nyanja ya Mediterranean idzathere, Bay of Biscay idzathetsedwa, ndipo Australia ikhala gawo la kontinenti ya Eurasia.
