Determining the Rate of Plate Movements
| The majority of the research shows that the plates move at the average rate of between approximately 0.60 cm/yr to 10 cm/yr. Some sources state that in the North Atlantic, the rate of movement is only about 1 cm (about 0.4 in) per year, while in the Pacific it amounts to more than 4 cm (almost 2 in) annually, while others say that plates, in general, travel from 5 to 10 cm/yr. | |
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The
Eurasian Plate is moving away from the North American Plate at a rate
the is about 3cm per year. That is about the same rate at which your
fingernails will grow.
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The distance from New York to London is in 3459 miles (5567 km). What will the distance be in 5 million years?. |
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The distance from New York to London in 5 million years will be 3552 miles (5717 km). So if today it takes us 7 hours and 30 minutes to fly to London at a speed of 460 miles per hour, in 5 million years at the same rate of speed will take us close to 8 hours.
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Brooklyn College - Geology Department