A Geological History of the Earth

Or, a reverse-chronological view of our planet from supercontinent to supercontinent.

By: Andrew Hookway

Supercontinents

Vaalbara (3.3 BYA to 2.8 BYA)

Kenorland (2.7 BYA to 2.5 BYA)

Columbia (1.8 BYA to 1.5 BYA)

Ur (3 BYA to 1 BYA)

Rodinia (1 BYA to 800 MYA)

Pannotia (600 MYA to 540 MYA)

Pangaea (300 MYA to 180 MYA)

What Makes Continents Move?

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/geology/tectonics.html

Vaalbara(3.3 BYA to 2.8 BYA)

?

Kenorland(2.7 BYA to 2.5 BYA)

http://www.geophysics.helsinki.fi/tutkimus/01_Supercontinents_in_the_geological_past_se.php?page=1

Columbia(1.8 BYA to 1.5 BYA)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/1892869.stmhttp://www.spacedaily.com/news/tectonics-02b.html

AU: AustraliaIN: India

MA: MadagascarZI: ?

KA: Congo

NWAf: Northwest AfricaSAm: South America

NA: North AmericaGR: GreenlandSI: SiberiaBA: Baltica (Europe, esp. Scandanavia)

Ur(3 BYA to 1 BYA)

http://research.unc.edu/endeavors/spr97/maps.html

Competing Theories

3 BYA 2 BYA 1 BYA

Vaalbara Kenorland Columbia Rodinia

Rodinia(1 BYA to 800 MYA)

http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/geo_history_wa/Dance%20of%20the%20Giant%20Continents.htm

http://www.palaeos.com/Earth/Geography/Rodinia.htmhttp://www.peripatus.gen.nz/Paleontology/Rodinia.html

Pannotia(600 MYA to 540 MYA)

http://scotese.com/precambr.htmhttp://www.jamestown-ri.info/prelude.htm

Pangaea(300 MYA to 180 MYA)

http://www.auburn.edu/academic/science_math/res_area/geology/camp/MapsFigures.html

http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/historical.html

Pangaea Ultima(250 MY to 300 MY)

http://scotese.com/future.htmhttp://scotese.com/future1.htmhttp://scotese.com/future2.htm

Referenceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/geology/tectonics.html

http://www.geophysics.helsinki.fi/tutkimus/01_Supercontinents_in_the_geological_past_se.php?page=1

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/1892869.stm

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/tectonics-02b.html

http://research.unc.edu/endeavors/spr97/maps.html

http://www.palaeos.com/Earth/Geography/Rodinia.htm

http://www.peripatus.gen.nz/Paleontology/Rodinia.html

http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/geo_history_wa/Dance%20of%20the%20Giant%20Continents.htm

http://scotese.com/earth.htm

http://www.jamestown-ri.info/prelude.htm

http://www.auburn.edu/academic/science_math/res_area/geology/camp/MapsFigures.html

http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/historical.html

Questions?