Plate Tectonics
Continents drift a few centimetres a year, and mountains are what happens when they meet.
Sparks curiosity about how mountains form
5 min read · 4-6
Listen to this storyThe story
Earth smiles warmly in her soft cloud scarf. She has a big secret: her puzzle-piece continents are slowly, quietly drifting.
Earth adjusts her bright yellow visor and peers down. Her giant green landmasses sit far apart, separated by wide, blue oceans.
Two massive landmasses wave across the wide blue ocean, excited to begin their incredibly slow journey.
Years pass and the continents crawl forward, inching along like snails across the vast blue sea.
With every passing season, the gap of blue water between them shrinks just a tiny bit more.
Earth cheers them on, adjusting her yellow visor as the two landmasses drift closer than ever before.
At last, the two giant landmasses bump! Instead of a loud crash, they touch with a gentle, steady squeeze.
The ground begins to fold and wrinkle under the steady pressure, slowly pushing rocks up toward the sky.
Earth watches in awe as the land crinkles like a soft rug, pushing the rocks higher and higher into the air.
The crinkling land rises high, forming a majestic new mountain range where the two continents finally met.
The new peaks reach high into the sky, tickling Earth's soft cloud scarf as she smiles at her beautiful creation.
Earth smiles down at the grand peaks. Her slow, patient continents showed her that beautiful things are always worth the wait.
More Like This
Volcanoes
Why some eruptions ooze and others explode, and how islands are born.
Volcanoes and Life
How life thrives near Earth's fiery mountains
Sand
Sand is made of tiny broken rocks and shells, worn down by water.
Day and Night
The sun does not go out — we turn away from it.
The Sun
The sun is a star close enough to keep us warm.
Journey of a Raindrop
The water cycle told through one special raindrop's journey from cloud to ocean to river to cloud again
EarthMore from this show
Rain
Where rain comes from, and where the puddles go when they dry.
Seeds
A seed sleeps in the dark, then pushes up toward the light.
Day and Night
The sun does not go out — we turn away from it.
Sand
Sand is made of tiny broken rocks and shells, worn down by water.
Snow
Every snowflake has six sides, and no two are quite the same.
Roots
Under every tree there is another tree, made of roots, holding on.
The Sea
The sea goes out and comes back, twice every day.
Volcanoes
Why some eruptions ooze and others explode, and how islands are born.