Skip to main content

How North America got its shape - Peter J. Haproff

789,703 Views

26,789 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

North America didn’t always have its familiar shape, nor its famed mountains, canyons, and plains: all of that was once contained in an unrecognizable mass, buried deep in Rodinia, a huge supercontinent that lay on the face of the Earth. Peter J. Haproff explains how it took millions of years and some incredible plate tectonics to forge the continent we know today.

North America is one of seven major tectonic plates in addition to ten minor plates that cover Earth’s surface. Can you name each one?

Sign in to answer question

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Peter J. Haproff
  • Script Editor Emma Bryce
  • Director Hernando Bahamon
  • Art Director Andrés Landazábal
  • Composer Manuel Borda
  • Compositor Ricardo Avila
  • Animator Miguel Otálora
  • Narrator Addison Anderson

More from Awesome Nature