Pangea Plate tectonics assumes that the Earth’s rigid outer layer is comprised of a number of slabs called plates, which are constantly in motion, changing the position of land masses and seascapes relative to each other throughout history. The plates move slowly but continuously at about the rate of 2 inches every year. The movement of the plates themselves may be caused by the unequal distribution of heat and pressure below them. Very hot material deep within the mantle, that is, the layer of rock inside the Earth, moves upward while the cooler layer descends into the mantle, putting the outer crust of the continents in motion. Several large plates include an entire continent with its surrounding seafloor; however, the boundaries of the plates do not correspond precisely with the seven continents that we recognize today
