Final answer:
Rift zones are regions where Earth's plates pull apart, causing new crust to form from molten rock in the mantle. Rift zones may exist on land and under oceans, and they can be reactivated to produce earthquakes. The plate movements responsible for rifts contribute to the geological phenomena such as continental drifting and mountain building.
Step-by-step explanation:
Rifts are areas where Earth's tectonic plates pull apart from each other, creating zones of weakness in the planet's crust. When plates pull apart, molten rock from the mantle rises to fill the gap, which forms new crust primarily composed of basaltic lava. This process of crust formation happens along rift zones such as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Rift zones can also occur on land, like the Central African rift.
Continental rifting is when a continental mass splits apart, leading to the formation and drifting away of new land masses. For example, the breakup of Pangea into today's continents was a result of continental rifting. A significant point to note is that these rift zones, due to their inherent instability, can become reactivated and consequently lead to earthquakes in response to tectonic stresses.
Plate tectonics itself is a theory explaining the motion of the Earth's crust as it is propelled by the mantle's movements. This motion results in continental drifting, mountain building, and various other geological phenomena. Moreover, the magnetization patterns in rocks near rift zones indicate reversals of the Earth's magnetic field, contributing to the study of geologic history.
It's also important to realize that these slow-moving tectonic plates can accumulate stresses that are released as sudden and violent slips, leading to earthquakes. While these natural events can have devastating consequences, they are a part of Earth's continuous cycle to regulate its temperature by transporting heat from the interior to space.