<p>This is more a problem with how you are trying to categorize things than any concrete problem. </p>

<p>A "plate" is not a completely hard and fast concept, there is some interpretation involved, it is a way of categorizing a group of natural objects with similar properties.  When continental crust merges they do not become homogeneous, much like how individual boards can be used to make a piece of furniture a continental plate can be made of many joined plates. Continental plates are one of those things that don't follow fine categorization well, continental plates can be composed of many smaller plates and the distinction between two plates can be vague. Generally once two plates are moving together they are treated as one, the definition of "Plate" much like the definition of species is one of those things can van vary quite bit depending on how it is being used. </p>

<p>Most continental plates are built of many smaller plates that have become fused together, these pieces often become distinct <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geologic_province" rel="nofollow noreferrer">provinces</a>within the plate. It is possible to reconstruct past individual past plates in many continental plates</p>

<p>Imagine if you have two sheets of clay on a table, you can slide each piece around until you push them together with force, and the edges stick together, then they fuse into one large sheet and you can't move one without moving the other so you can safely treat them as one thing. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-05T13:51:37.610Z
2019-12-05T13:51:37.610Z
John
<p>I had a question concerning the nature of continental plates.</p>

<p>When looking at the Eurasian Plate today, for the most part, there is one solid fragment of the Earth's crust. However, having had a look at maps detailing prehistoric Earth, this isn't always the case. Throughout the entire Phanerozoic Eon, Eurasia has been a collection of different landmasses gradually merging together. Baltica, Kazakhstania, all the various regions of East and South-East Asia. Yet, today, only India and Arabia are still situated upon separate plates. All others no longer possess any divisions between them.</p>

<p>Why is this the case? I was under the assumption that it was only oceanic plates that submerge into the mantle due their density. I though that when continental plates collide, neither continent submerges, forming mountains. Shouldn't there still be distinct tectonic plates?</p>

<p>Any answers would be greatly appreciated.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-20T19:23:46.297Z
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_collision
Spencer
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-21T00:08:23.553Z
Ah. Actually, that explains it. Thank you
N Francis
<plate-tectonics>
Do Tectonic Plates Merge?
N Francis
# Do Tectonic Plates Merge?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-01-20)

I had a question concerning the nature of continental plates.

When looking at the Eurasian Plate today, for the most part, there is one solid fragment of the Earth's crust. However, having had a look at maps detailing prehistoric Earth, this isn't always the case. Throughout the entire Phanerozoic Eon, Eurasia has been a collection of different landmasses gradually merging together. Baltica, Kazakhstania, all the various regions of East and South-East Asia. Yet, today, only India and Arabia are still situated upon separate plates. All others no longer possess any divisions between them.

Why is this the case? I was under the assumption that it was only oceanic plates that submerge into the mantle due their density. I though that when continental plates collide, neither continent submerges, forming mountains. Shouldn't there still be distinct tectonic plates?

Any answers would be greatly appreciated.

**Tags:** plate-tectonics

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_collision  
> **username_0**: Ah. Actually, that explains it. Thank you  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2019-12-05. Score: 1

This is more a problem with how you are trying to categorize things than any concrete problem.

A "plate" is not a completely hard and fast concept, there is some interpretation involved, it is a way of categorizing a group of natural objects with similar properties. When continental crust merges they do not become homogeneous, much like how individual boards can be used to make a piece of furniture a continental plate can be made of many joined plates. Continental plates are one of those things that don't follow fine categorization well, continental plates can be composed of many smaller plates and the distinction between two plates can be vague. Generally once two plates are moving together they are treated as one, the definition of "Plate" much like the definition of species is one of those things can van vary quite bit depending on how it is being used.

Most continental plates are built of many smaller plates that have become fused together, these pieces often become distinct [provinces](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geologic_province)within the plate. It is possible to reconstruct past individual past plates in many continental plates

Imagine if you have two sheets of clay on a table, you can slide each piece around until you push them together with force, and the edges stick together, then they fuse into one large sheet and you can't move one without moving the other so you can safely treat them as one thing.


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