South America Is Moving and It Will Change the World Forever

Bright Side

Did you know that South America is literally on the move — and this unstoppable shift could change the world forever? 🌎🔍 It’s not just a minor adjustment… we’re talking about powerful forces beneath the Earth that are reshaping continents, causing rising mountains, earthquakes, and future coastlines to form. In this video, we’ll reveal how this slow but mighty movement is already affecting the planet—and what it could mean for millions of people. Could this trigger a chain reaction of natural events across the globe? Scientists are watching with growing concern—and after this, you’ll understand why.   Credit: Geo Dharma / YouTube AGU / YouTube metfan869 / YouTube Neptune Canada / YouTube Greenlight Africa / YouTube Christopher Scotese / YouTube Animation is created by Bright Side.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Music from TheSoul Sound: https://thesoul-sound.com/   Check our Bright Side podcast on Spotify and leave a positive review! https://open.spotify.com/show/0hUkPxD34jRLrMrJux4VxV  Subscribe to Bright Side: https://goo.gl/rQTJZz  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Our Social Media:  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brightplanet/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightside.official  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brightside.official?lang=en   Stock materials (photos, footages and other):  https://www.depositphotos.com  https://www.shutterstock.com  https://www.eastnews.ru  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  For more videos and articles visit: http://www.brightside.me  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.

Transcript

00:00Consider South America and Africa.

00:03Don't they kind of look like they fit together, you know, like puzzle pieces?

00:07Well, they actually did.

00:08But about 130 million years ago, South America was like, bye, and slowly started drifting away.

00:15These days, it's around 1,800 miles from Africa, and it's still on the move.

00:21Every year, the continent shifts a little more toward the Pacific Ocean.

00:25So, how's that even happening?

00:27Tectonic plates are constantly moving.

00:30That's what makes the Earth's surface shift over time, going from this to what we see today.

00:35But those movements happen so slowly that you and I can't see them go.

00:40So, no, Brazilians or Chileans aren't out there feeling their continent inching westward.

00:45But the numbers don't lie.

00:47South America is moving.

00:49And apparently, all it wants is to get as far away as possible from this massive underwater mountain range

00:56called the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

00:58But what exactly is pushing the land toward the Pacific Ocean?

01:02It is the heat inside our planet.

01:05Way, way down beneath the ocean, there are cracks in the Earth's crust.

01:09And magma, super-hot melted rock, rises up through those cracks.

01:14When that happens, the magma cools and hardens into solid rock.

01:18Over time, this process might build underwater mountains, like the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

01:22And as more new crust forms, it begins to push the older crust out of the way.

01:28In the process, tectonic plates and the continents riding on top of them get pushed along.

01:34Now, on the other side of South America, over by the Pacific, there is the Nazca Plate.

01:40It's heavier, and it's moving eastward.

01:43Since it is denser, it is sliding underneath the South American Plate.

01:46This entire process is called subduction, and it's happening at a rate of about 3 inches

01:53per year.

01:54By the way, the collision between these two plates is what's behind all those breathtaking

01:59volcanoes scattered throughout the Andes, and it's also making the continent move.

02:05So, if everything goes according to plan, projections show that South America will end

02:10up more centered in the Pacific Ocean in the future.

02:12But some models suggest something way crazier.

02:16Before we get into that, though, we need to clear something up.

02:19Why on Earth is an Africa following in South America's footsteps?

02:24I mean, shouldn't it be drifting west too?

02:26Well, not quite.

02:28Africa is doing its own thing, because it sits on the African Plate.

02:33So, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is located between those two continents.

02:36And just like it pushes the South American Plate, it also pushes the African Plate, but

02:42in the opposite direction.

02:44It's like this ridge is trying to split up two ex-besties, you know?

02:48But there's more.

02:50Africa is also being influenced by the East African Rift.

02:54That's one of those massive cracks we talked about earlier.

02:57But it's happening on land, which makes it extra dramatic.

03:01This is what's causing the continent to slowly split apart.

03:04It's a long story, but let's just say the rift is pulling Africa in more directions

03:09than South America ever had to deal with.

03:12Okay, now it is finally time to talk about that crazier thing that might happen to South

03:17America, and everything around it, in the future.

03:21Theory number one.

03:22It could break away from North America.

03:24I know, super dramatic.

03:26But don't panic.

03:27We're talking hundreds of millions of years from now, and I won't be around.

03:30You see, both continents are moving in the same general direction, but at different speeds.

03:36The North American Plate is cruising along at about one inch per year, while South America

03:41is moving a bit faster.

03:43So even though they're heading the same way, they are not keeping pace.

03:48Over time, as the Atlantic Ocean continues to widen and the Pacific keeps shrinking, all

03:53this tectonic movement could eventually pull the Americas apart.

03:57Theory number two.

03:59Marine life could go through some major changes.

04:02Right now, the Americas act as kind of a giant wall between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

04:08Because of that, sea animals have evolved differently on each side.

04:12Take the green sea turtle, for example.

04:14The ones living in the Atlantic tend to be bigger and lighter in color.

04:18Meanwhile, their Pacific cousins are usually smaller and darker.

04:21But if, one day, there is no land blocking these two populations from mixing, they would

04:28end up with brand new migration routes, new nesting spots, and a lot more overlap in their

04:33territories.

04:34Now, multiply that scenario by hundreds of other species, and things could really get shaken

04:40up.

04:41We're talking about new interactions, unexpected competition, and maybe even the rise of entirely

04:47new species.

04:47All right, theory number three.

04:51America might meet Africa again.

04:53Right now, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is busy creating a new seafloor.

04:57And because of that, the Atlantic Ocean is slowly getting wider.

05:01But in about 125 million years, scientists believe that process could come to a stop.

05:09Instead of the seafloor spreading apart, the ocean floor might start getting pulled under

05:13the continents.

05:14When that happens, the Atlantic will stop growing and start shrinking.

05:19And the water section between South America and Africa is likely to be the first part pulled

05:25beneath the land.

05:27That means the Americas and Africa could meet again.

05:31And when that happens, border countries could turn into super shaky places, with earthquakes

05:36happening all the time and brand new volcanoes popping up left and right.

05:41The eastern United States would no longer be known for the peaceful green slopes of the

05:46Appalachians, but for snow-covered giants that occasionally spew lava and ash, more like

05:51the Cascade Range out west.

05:54Countries would end up with totally new neighbors.

05:56Brazil might line up with Nigeria and Cameroon.

06:00Uruguay could be sitting right next to Angola.

06:03And Argentina might be sharing a border with South Africa.

06:06So if these two continents really do merge, how intense would that be?

06:12Well, for starters, this new supercontinent would instantly become the biggest one on

06:16Earth, about one and a half times the size of Asia.

06:20And chances are, a brand new mountain range would form right where the continents meet,

06:25creating a natural border between nations.

06:28Being part of the same massive continent could make a lot of things way easier.

06:32For one, tourism could totally take off.

06:36People traveling between countries by land without needing pricey plane tickets could be

06:41a game-changer.

06:42But it wouldn't stop there.

06:44Other types of economic activity could get a major boost too.

06:48Now on one side, we have South America, which already produces and sells a wide variety of

06:53foods, from wheat to bananas, beef, cocoa, soybeans, you name it.

06:58On the other side, there is Africa, exporting things like textiles and clothing.

07:04That alone would make them a super powerful block when it comes to trading raw goods.

07:09But can you name another important thing these two continents have in common?

07:14Yep, petroleum.

07:16Countries in South America, like Brazil, Venezuela, and Colombia, are major oil exporters.

07:21And over in Africa, you've got Nigeria, Algeria, and Libya doing the same.

07:26Now, can you see just how powerful that kind of union could be?

07:31Meanwhile, let's talk about animals.

07:33These two massive lands coming together could lead us to wild meet-ups.

07:38Like a capybara sharing space with a Nile crocodile.

07:42Or a sloth seeing a hyena from the top of a tree.

07:46This could even lead to new animal hybrids showing up.

07:49Like a cabby crocodile.

07:51Or a sloth hyena.

07:53Okay, those weren't the cleverest names.

07:55And honestly, these animals wouldn't be able to mate or even wouldn't want to.

07:59But you get the point, right?

08:01It's not all positive, unfortunately.

08:04New species showing up could become predators, competitors, or even parasites to the native

08:09plants and animals.

08:11It would take a long time for things to settle into a new balance in those border regions.

08:15But, honestly, no one really knows how long it would take.

08:19The only thing I do know is, neither of us will be around to see it.

08:23Which is okay.

08:25That's it for today.

08:26So hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like and share it with your

08:30friends.

08:31Or if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the bright side!

08:35Thank you very much.

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