Earth:List of supercontinents

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Short description: A list of the past, present, and speculative future supercontinents of Earth

This is a list of supercontinents.

Past

The list is written in reverse-chronological order ("stratolithic order"). Dates are given as the approximate beginning of the formation of the supercontinent; dates in parentheses are approximate date of the fully formed supercontinent. The Notes column provides the geologic time period of the fully formed supercontinent.

Legend
Minor supercontinent
Major supercontinent
List of supercontinents
Name Ga
(Billions of years ago)
Geologic time period[1] / Notes
Laurasia ~0.253–~0.056 Phanerozoic > Mesozoic[2]
Pangaea ~0.335 (0.299[3]) –~0.173 Phanerozoic > Paleozoic > Permian[4]
Euramerica 0.433-0.056 Was next to Gondwana
Gondwana ~0.62–~0.132 Appeared in 550mya or the breakup of Pannotia.
Pannotia, also called Vendian 0.62–~0.555 Precambrian > Proterozoic > Neoproterozoic > Ediacaran[5]
Avalonia 0.63–0.56
Protogondwana 1.071–0.62
Protolaurasia 1.071–0.592
Rodinia[6] 1.071–~0.75 Precambrian > Proterozoic > Neoproterozoic > Tonian
Cimmeria 1.25–present
Baltica 1.8–present
Laurentia 1.816–present
Columbia, also called Nuna ~1.82–1.35[7] Precambrian > Proterozoic > Mesoproterozoic > Calymmian
Nena 1.95–0.592 Formation is 1.95bya
Atlantica 2.11–0.114 Protracted tectonic magma plume rifting occurred 1.31 Ga. Final breakup occurred ~114 Ma.
India (continent) 2.525–present
Siberia (continent) 2.695–present
Sclavia 2.665–2.33 Kenorland is a "one-piece" alternative to Superia, Vaalbara, and Sclavia.
Kenorland ~2.72–2.1 Neoarchean sanukitoid cratons and new continental crust formed Kenorland. Protracted tectonic magma plume rifting occurred 2.48 to 2.4 Ga and this contributed to the Paleoproterozoic glacial events in 2.4 to 2.22 Ga. Final breakup occurred ~2.1 Ga.
Ur ~3.0–2.803 Classified as the earliest known landmass, Ur was a continent that existed three billion years ago. While probably not a supercontinent, one can argue that Ur was a supercontinent for its time as it was possibly the only continent on Earth, even if it was smaller than Australia is today. Still, an older rock formation now in Greenland dates back from Hadean times.
Congo (continent) (Protoafrica) 3.6–present This former continent thought to be parental to the São Francisco craton, Congo craton and the Central Africa.
Vaalbara ~3.6–2.803 Possibly the first supercontinent
Superior craton 4.031–present existed when Vaalbara was formed.

Present (now)

List of Supercontinents
Name Millions of years
(– = past, + = future)
Notes
Afro-Eurasia –5...+215[citation needed]
Ocean-Eurasia –5...+215[citation needed]
America –15...+150[citation needed]
Eurasia –253...+215[citation needed] If not considered a part of Afro-Eurasia

Afro-Eurasia-America

Future (speculative) (+)

List of Supercontinents
Name Millions of years in the future Notes
Novopangaea 250 This assumes closure of the Pacific Ocean, docking of Australia with East Asia, and northward motion of Antarctica.
Pangaea Ultima 250 Africa will meet North America by then.
Amasia 250 Everything moves north and meets near the Arctic Circle
Aurica 250 Western Eurasia splits from Eastern Asia and moves west along with Africa, as Eastern Asia moves east along India and Australia.
Afro-Euraustralasia 27–215

References

External links