Theories of Tectonic Plates and the Formation of Continents

Raisin Theory

Raisin Theory, scientifically known as geosynclinal theory, is a theory that was supported from
the 19th-20th century, which was proposed by James Hall in 1857. The concept of his theory
compromises the formation of the Earth’s features; however, since it was initially mentioned that
it was too absurd(and thus, failed for his notion to be published), James Dana, a contributor to
his theory, was able to aid him by clarifying the theory in his final edition of the Manual of
Geology in 1895.

The theory presumed that all of the features of the Earth had formed during a wrinkling and
cooling process, which was likely linked to the Big Bang that occured billions of years ago. It
also implied that such mountain ranges like the Himalayas were forced up by the ‘wrinkling
process’.

Isostasy theory

The term isostasy was coined by Dutton himself and it was derived from the Greek language—
it said that “isos” was defined as equal, and that stasis was defined as “stand still”.

Isostasy theory was proposed in 1889 by the American geologist Clarence Edward Dutton. The
concept states that there is an equilibrium or balance between the gravity of the Earth’s
lithosphere and asthenosphere. It is meant that the elevation of any part of the crust of the Earth
is a function of the thickness and density of the crust. In other terms, the balance of the earth's
crust is preserved by the surrendering flow of rock material under the surface, which is also
under the influence of gravity.

An iceberg floating on an ocean is a perfect demonstration of Isostasy.

Plate Tectonics Theory

Plate tectonic theory is a theory or notion that was developed in the 1960s that explains how
major landforms were created as a result of the tectonics’ plate movement. It is said that the
phenomena of such events like volcanoes, mountains, or earthquakes were caused by these
broken plate movements because they are said to be in motion at a constant slow speed. The
plates' relative motion, however, varies, ranging from one to six inches (or two to 15 cm) every
year.
Continental Drift Theory

The continental drift theory was structured and presented by Alfred Wegener in 1912, but with
his book published in 1915. It is stated that his hypothesis explains that the Earth was once
formed into a supercontinent called Pangea. He expounded that during millions of years ago, it
started to deliberately break up to two other smaller continents using the plate tectonic theory, in
which the process never seems to cease.