THE MAKING OF THE CONTINENTS

Plate tectonics shift the ground beneath our feet, changing the face of the Earth

1 RODINIA 1.3 TO 1 BILLION YEARS AGO

Fragments of Earth’s crust pushed together to form the first supercontinent, lifeless rocks surrounded by a stormy ocean.

2 LAURENTIA 425 MILLION YEARS AGO

Heat tore Rodinia apart, releasing Laurentia, a vast land mass that would go on to become North America, Europe and Asia.

3 PANGAEA 237 MILLION YEARS AGO

The fragments of Rodinia rejoined to form Pangaea, upon which dinosaurs and mammals first evolved.

4 GONDWANA 152 MILLION YEARS AGO

Pangaea split apart into two great landmasses, with Laurasia to the north and Gondwana to the south.

5 MODERN EARTH TODAY

Laurasia broke apart to form North America, Europe and Asia. Gondwana split into Africa, South America, India, Antarctica and Australasia.

6 FUTURE SUPERCONTINENTS 200 TO 300 MILLION YEARS FROM TODAY

The next supercontinent is due to form 200 or 300 million years from today, but exactly what it will look like is still something of an unknown. Scientists predict four possible scenarios: Novopangaea, Pangaea Proxima – or Ultima – Aurica and Amasia.

Novopangaea will form if the Atlantic Ocean continues to widen and the Pacific continues to close; this will cause the Americas to smash into Antarctica and Eurasia. Pangaea Proxima will form if the Atlantic starts to close, bringing the continents back together. Aurica will form if both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans close, sandwiching the Americas between Australasia and Antarctica and Eurasia. And Amasia (not shown) will form if the continents drift northwards and collide in the Arctic circle.