Continents on the northern hemisphere

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the question of why most continents are located in the Northern Hemisphere. Participants explore the reasons behind this distribution, considering geological processes and the dynamic nature of continental drift over geological time scales.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses surprise at the concentration of continents in the Northern Hemisphere and suggests it may be a coincidence.
  • Another participant shares a link to animations that illustrate the movement of continents over millions of years, implying that the current distribution is not fixed.
  • A participant acknowledges the animations but admits they still do not find a definitive answer to the question.
  • It is noted that the animations depict continents in various configurations throughout history, suggesting that the current arrangement is subject to change over time.
  • One participant concludes that the distribution may indeed be a matter of chance, referencing the temporary nature of continental positions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the reasons for the distribution of continents, with some suggesting it is coincidental while others highlight the dynamic nature of continental drift.

Contextual Notes

The discussion reflects uncertainty regarding the factors influencing continental distribution and acknowledges the limitations of current understanding based on geological time scales.

pixel01
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I am supprised and puzzled when my nephew, a 14 year old boy asked me : 'Why most of the continents are on the Northern hemisphere ?'.
I answered him it is just a coincidence. Could anybody explain if there are any real reasons for that?
Thanks
 
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Thank you Bill, it's very nice animation. But frankly I can not find the answer myself.
 
pixel01 said:
Thank you Bill, it's very nice animation. But frankly I can not find the answer myself.

The animation shows the continents moving, constantly changing patterns over hundreds of millions of years. At one point they are all jammed together, at another point most of them are in the southern hemisphere. What it shows is that the pattern of the continents isn't permanent. They're still moving around, extremely slowly.
So it seems you were right, that it's just chance. If he'd been around a couple hundred million years ago (or a couple hundred million years in the future) it would all look different.
 

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