Final answer:
The Mohorovičić discontinuity, or the Moho, is the boundary between the Earth's crust and mantle, marked by an increase in seismic wave velocity. Ophiolites, which are parts of the crust and upper mantle, are often found in discontinuous belts due to complex geological processes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Mohorovičić discontinuity, often referred to as the Moho, is a boundary that separates the Earth's crust from the underlying mantle. It's characterized by a sudden increase in seismic wave velocity. This discontinuity was discovered by the Croatian seismologist Andrija Mohorovičić in 1909 when he observed that the velocity of seismic waves increases abruptly below a certain depth. This occurs because the materials that make up the mantle are denser and less compressible than those in the crust.
In relation to the second part of the question, ophiolites represent sections of the Earth's oceanic crust and the underlying upper mantle that have been uplifted and exposed above sea level. Ophiolite distributions can sometimes be used as indicators of past tectonic processes. Typically, ophiolite formations, which are of great interest to geologists, are found in discontinuous belts. These 'blobs' are not continuous, reflecting the complex geological activities that bring these deep-sea rocks to the surface, such as subduction zones and tectonic plate movements.