List of supercontinents
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This is a list of supercontinents.
Contents
PastEdit
The list is written in reverse-chronological order ("stratolithic order").
| Minor supercontinent |
| Major supercontinent |
| Name | Ga (Billions of years ago) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Laurasia | ~0.253–~0.056 | |
| Pangaea | ~0.335–~0.173 | |
| Euramerica | 0.433-0.056 | |
| Gondwana | ~0.62–~0.132 | |
| Pannotia, also called Vendian | 0.62–~0.555 | |
| Avalonia | 0.63-0.056 | |
| Protogondwana | 1.071-0.62 | |
| Protolaurasia | 1.071–0.592 | |
| Rodinia | 1.071–~0.75 | |
| Cimmeria | 1.25–present | |
| Baltica | 1.8-present | |
| Laurentia | 1.816-present | |
| Columbia, also called Nuna | ~1.82–1.35[1] | |
| Nena | 1.95-0.592 | |
| 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/Arctica | ~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 | ~3.1-2.803 | 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 |
Present dayEdit
| Name | Myr (millions of years) (-=past) (+=future) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Afro-Eurasia | ~-5 Myr to ~+215 Myr | |
| Ocean-Eurasia | ~-5 Myr to ~+215 Myr | |
| America | ~-15 Myr to +150 Myr | |
| Eurasia | ~-253 Myr to ~+215 Myr | If not considered a part of Afro-Eurasia |
Future (speculative)Edit
| Name | Year (Myr) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| East Africa—India—Madagascar—Indonesia—East Asia—Australia—Zealand—North America | 316-472 | |
| Pangaea Ultima/Novopangaea | 249–540 | |
| East Asia—Australia—Zealand—North America | 102-472 | |
| Antarctica—South America | 102-739 | |
| Amasia | 39–215 | |
| Afro-Euraustralasia | 27–215 | |
| Africa—Europe—West Asia | 0.65-450 |