Supercontinent

From Bharatpedia, an open encyclopedia
Information red.svg
Scan the QR code to donate via UPI
Dear reader, We need your support to keep the flame of knowledge burning bright! Our hosting server bill is due on June 1st, and without your help, Bharatpedia faces the risk of shutdown. We've come a long way together in exploring and celebrating our rich heritage. Now, let's unite to ensure Bharatpedia continues to be a beacon of knowledge for generations to come. Every contribution, big or small, makes a difference. Together, let's preserve and share the essence of Bharat.

Thank you for being part of the Bharatpedia family!
Please scan the QR code on the right to donate.

0%

   

transparency: ₹0 raised out of ₹100,000 (0 supporter)


A supercontinent also called an enormous continent, is a large area of land which has more than one continental core, or craton. They are formed by continental plates coming together. Continental plates have periodically collided and assembled in periods of orogeny (mountain-building) to form supercontinents. The cycle of supercontinents forming, breaking up, separating, and re-forming through plate tectonics happens about every 2000 million years.

Eurasia is certainly a supercontinent, but the Americas are usually thought of as separate continents. Even more clearly, Gondwana and Laurasia were supercontinents formed by the breakup of the global supercontinent Pangaea.

The land bridge between North and South America is geologically a rather temporary connection. Because of this, the Americas are usually not described as one supercontinent.

Ancient supercontinents[edit]

Throughout Earth's history, there have been many supercontinents. In order of age (oldest to newest), the ancient supercontinents were:

  • Vaalbara (~3.6 billion years ago)
  • Ur (~3.1 billion years ago)
  • Kenorland (~2.6 billion years ago)
  • Columbia, also called Nuna (~1.8 to 1.5 billion years ago)
  • Rodinia (~1.1 billion years to ~750 million years ago)
  • Pannotia, also called Vendian (~600 million years to ~540 million years ago)
  • Oldredia (~418–~380 million years ago)
  • Euramerica (~300 million years ago)
  • Pangaea (~300 to ~200 million years ago)
  • Laurasia (~510 to ~200 million years ago)
  • Gondwana (~510 to ~180 million years ago)

References[edit]