Once it was understood how these plates move, it was possible to determine past movements of Earth's continents and how these slow movements have reshaped Earth's features at different times.

一旦人们了解了这些板块是如何运动的，就有可能确定过去地球上大陆的运动，以及这些缓慢的运动如何在不同时期重塑了地球的特征。