How are the continental plates formed and how are they eventually destroyed?

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answered Mar 11, 2022 by Mayankchhawani (38.3k points)
selected Mar 12, 2022 by DamienMartyn

Best answer

In the beginning, probably all continents were held together.
Later the earth’s lithosphere is broken up into several pieces, just like the pieces of a large jigsaw puzzle and thus continental plates formed.
These pieces, on which all the continents and oceans are actually situated, are called “Plates”.
They float on soft layer of the mantle.
There are about seven major plates and several minor plates on the earth.
As the plates move, they push, pull, slide, rise, sink, bend and break.
Sometimes one plate meets another, the incoming plate dips under the stable plate.
In fact the incoming plate actually goes into the mantle of the earth and becomes molten due to the heat of the mantle.
That is how some plates are eventually destroyed.