The topic of this discussion is to explain why Africa and South America are moving apart. The drifting apart of Africa and South America has to do with the theory known as the theory of plate tectonics. Based on this model, the crust the coolest part of the mantle, make up Earth’s strong outer layer, known as the lithosphere. Right beneath the lithosphere is the asthenosphere, the hottest part of the mantle. Rocks at this depth are very near the melting temperature, and respond to forces by flowing similarly to the way a thick liquid would. Lithosphere is quite the opposite, cool and rigid, and responds to forces by bending or breaking but not flowing. Because of these differences the lithosphere becomes detached from the asthenosphere, which
