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Pangaea Supercontinent

Pangaea (also spelled Pangea or Pangæa) is a theoretical supercontinent that existed about 250 million years ago. Scientists believe all seven continents as they are today were once part of a supercontinent and have slowly moved apart.

1,102 Questions

How did Alfred wegener come up with the idea on Pangaea?

Alfred Wegener came up with the idea of Pangaea by observing the fit of South America and Africa's coastlines, as well as similarities in rock formations and fossils on different continents. He proposed the theory of continental drift to explain how the Earth's landmasses were once joined together in a supercontinent called Pangaea before drifting apart over time.

How does mineral evidence support pangaea?

The term 'minerals' can be rock minerals, or coal or gas or oil. All of these are found on all the present continents which were once joined together in a supercontinent called Pangaea. The name Pangaea is from the Greek word for'all earth' and the term 'earth' in the Bible is used for the land masses.

Pangaea was originally a small moon like body that was formed at the same time as all the planets were formed and in my book 'The Firmament of the sky dome' I have used the term Esther for this small moon which joined up with the Earth soon after the Earth had obtained its very deep global ocean. When Esther did join up with the Earth her contents spread out and it is this spreading out that formed the near circular supercontinent Pangaea. When this happened is very difficult to say but if we go by the Geological Column then it is clear that Pangaea supported several generations of life before this generation which began some 10,000 years ago according to the Bible.

We also know from the Bible that Pangaea split up into continents only about 4000 years ago and for this reason it is still possible to fit the continents together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Had the split up occurred more than say 20 million years ago the continents would have either been completely eroded away or reformed onto new shapes that would not fit together.

In my opinion the split up occurred because the supercontinent was formed on a very wet slippery surface to begin with so sliding occurred when the earth briefly lost its near spherical shape as a result of pressures from under the basaltic lithosphere on which the supercontinent was formed. My book explains this s some detail. In simple terms the continents simply slid downhill powered by their own gravity. The soft layer under the lithosphere does not have the ability to move the foundations as they are very thick and interlocked at plate boundaries.

There is no evidence in my opinion that the continents moved away from each other extremely slowly and hundreds of millions of years ago. If anyone can provide me with this I will be most interested. Earthquakes occur because individual plates can rise and fall under pressure from below and for this reason earthquakes are mainly confined to plate boundaries.

The basaltic lithosphere was split into plates partly when Esther crash landed and afterwards as a result of the heat constantly being generated in the Upper Mantle by decay of radioactive elements.

I hope the above answers all the several questions raised on this topic

Where does the energy come from to drive tectonic plate motion?

The energy driving tectonic plate motion primarily comes from the Earth's internal heat, which generates convection currents in the mantle. These currents transfer heat to the crust, causing the plates to move. Additionally, gravitational forces and the Earth's rotation play a role in the movement of tectonic plates.

What are three types of evidence for Pangaea?

  1. Fossil evidence: identical fossils of plant and animal species have been found on continents that are now separated by oceans.
  2. Geologic evidence: similar rock formations and mountain ranges are found on opposite sides of different continents.
  3. Climate evidence: ancient climate patterns inferred from glacier deposits and coal deposits match up when continents are repositioned together as Pangaea.

Why is Pangaea not present today?

Pangaea, the supercontinent, existed around 300 million years ago during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras. The movement of Earth's tectonic plates caused Pangaea to break apart over millions of years, leading to the formation of the current continents. The process of plate tectonics continues to slowly reshape Earth's landmasses.

What could possibly cause present day shape of the continents not fit perfectly into a large supercontinent?

Sea level changes, erosion, sedimentation, and uplift and subsidence of the surface can change the shapes of costlines. It has been dound that the present day continental shelves acutally fit together better than the coastlines. This makes sense, as when Pangaea rifted apart, the land immediately around the rifts would have dropped below sea level.

Who discovered the existence of the super continent Pangaea?

The existence of the supercontinent Pangaea was first proposed by Alfred Wegener, a German meteorologist and geophysicist, in 1912. Wegener's theory of continental drift suggested that the continents were once joined together in a single landmass before drifting apart over millions of years.

Does Pangaea still exist today?

No, Pangaea no longer exists today. It broke apart over 200 million years ago, leading to the formation of the continents as we know them now.

Is it possible to exist from the future?

As far as our current scientific understanding, it is not possible to exist in the future before that time actually comes. Time travel to the future is theoretically possible through phenomena like time dilation, but physically existing in the future before it happens is not within the realm of known physics.

How was pangaea broken?

Pangaea, the supercontinent that existed around 335 million years ago, began breaking apart due to the movement of tectonic plates. This movement resulted in the formation of separate continents over millions of years through the process of continental drift. Gradually, the forces of plate tectonics caused Pangaea to split into the continents we have today.

How does Pangaea broke?

Pangaea broke apart due to the movement of tectonic plates. The movement of these plates caused Pangaea to split into smaller land masses, eventually forming the continents as we know them today. This process, known as continental drift, started about 200 million years ago.

What caused the large landmass Pangea to separate?

The movement of tectonic plates caused the large landmass Pangea to separate. This process, known as plate tectonics, resulted in the fragmentation of Pangea into the continents we recognize today.

Why was the hypothesis about the super continent Pangaea rejected?

The hypothesis of the supercontinent Pangaea was not rejected, but rather supported by geological evidence such as matching rock formations, fossils, and mountain ranges across different continents. The concept of plate tectonics provided a framework to explain the breakup of Pangaea into separate continents over time.

When did supercontinents pangaea form?

The supercontinent Pangaea formed during the late Paleozoic era, specifically around 335 million years ago during the Carboniferous period. It existed until the early Mesozoic era, around 175 million years ago, when it began to break apart and eventually led to the formation of the continents as we know them today.

Does similar coastal rock formation prove Pangaea?

Depending on religion, and simple other factors, many things could have happened to prove Pangaea theory. Such as Rock forms, Coal, Religion, and the simple fit, plus much much other factors. Rock formation does have large role, but it honestly depends on what you choose to believe, or factor in! (:

How many years did pangaea exist as a single landmass?

Pangaea existed as a single landmass for about 100-200 million years during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras before breaking apart into the continents we know today.

Why did climate affect Pangaea?

Climate affected Pangaea because of its size and position on Earth. As a supercontinent, Pangaea's interior regions were far from the moderating effects of the oceans, leading to extreme climate conditions. Additionally, the arrangement of Pangaea's landmasses affected ocean currents and atmospheric circulation patterns, influencing global climate.

What was Wegners evidence that Pangaea once existed?

Wegener's evidence for Pangaea included the fit of the continents like a jigsaw puzzle, similar rock formations and fossils on different continents, and matching mountain ranges across continents. Additionally, the distribution of climate-sensitive organisms and glacial deposits provided further support for the theory of continental drift.

What did they call the parts that Pangaea broke into?

The parts that Pangaea broke into are called tectonic plates. These plates make up the Earth's lithosphere and float on the semi-fluid asthenosphere below, moving slowly and causing continental drift.

What is quasi-stationory fields?

Quasistationary fields refer to electromagnetic fields that vary slowly with time, allowing for the assumption that they are effectively constant over the duration of an experiment or observation. This approximation is often used in certain situations to simplify calculations and analysis of electromagnetic phenomena.

What are the advantages of plateaus to man?

Plateaus can provide flat terrain for agriculture, grazing, and building settlements. They also offer natural defenses due to their elevated position, making them strategic locations for military purposes. Additionally, plateaus often have valuable mineral resources that can be mined.

What year did the concept of Pangaea begin?

The concept of Pangaea, the supercontinent, was first proposed by Alfred Wegener in 1912 as part of his theory of continental drift.

What are the names of the Pangaea that broke apart?

The supercontinent that broke apart is called Pangaea. It split into Laurasia in the north and Gondwana in the south.

What evidence led scientist to the conclusion that Antarctica was warm?

Scientists have found evidence in sediment cores and ice cores that indicate Antarctica was once much warmer than it is today. Fossils of plants and animals that could not survive in the current polar climate have been discovered, as well as ancient climate indicators like soil composition and isotopic analysis. These findings suggest that Antarctica had a different climate in the past due to changes in greenhouse gas concentrations and the position of the continent.

What is the direction of antarcticas drift from 350mya to 200mya to the present day?

From 350mya to 200mya, Antarctica was part of the supercontinent Gondwana, drifting southward. From 200mya to the present day, it continued drifting southwards, eventually reaching its current polar position.