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Pangaea Ultima
250 Million Years From Now: Pangaea 2.0
By Joshua S. Hill
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
If you're looking for a great daily website that will keep you entertained and awe inspired each day, then you should check out the 'Astronomy Picture of the Day' website. You'll be treated to some of the greatest astronomy related photographs, and, in all reality, when you're waking up and dealing with the first coffee of the day, some good awe inspiring space photos is the way to go.
However the great thing about this site is that it doesn't just provide photographs. Today's astronomy photo inspired me to first of all share the site with you, and then run through a bit of an interesting history lesson.
Existing during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic -- some 250 million years ago -- Pangaea is the supercontinent that comprised of all of our modern day continents, all rolled up in to one big one. Eurasia was up the top, swinging down through North and South America, cross to the east for Africa, then south for India, Antarctica and finally Australia -- well and truly living up to its title of 'Land Down Under'.
As many of you will be aware, we are always shifting. Our continents are slowly -- ever so slowly -- making slow journeys across the planet's surface. Australia, for example, is moving at approximately 1 inch per year.
We move not just on our little countries either, restricted by imaginary lines imprinted on our minds by the governing nations of the world. We're moving on our tectonic plates, those same plates that cause the great big earthquakes. Each of those plates is slowly drawing closer and closer.
So what comes next?
They're calling it Pangaea Ultima; I prefer Pangaea 2.0!
According to the PALEOMAP Project, in 250 million years from now, the current formation will once again take on a united continent shape, somewhat similar to the original one, but with a nice oceanic gap between the top half -- containing Eurasia, Africa, North and South America -- and the bottom half -- containing Antarctica and Australia.
Originally hypothesized by Christopher Scotese, some of the attributes of a Pangaea Ultima would include the total disappearance of the Atlantic Ocean, and the ability to walk from what is now the Bering Strait to Chile.
Truly what an awesome world awaits us!
Joshua can be reached at: letters@canadafreepress.com
