Supercontinents

Laurasia consisted of what we now know as North America, Europe and Asia; Gondwana was what we know as South America, Africa and Antarctica.

Pangaea was the last 'supercontinent' – which means it's the only one you really need to know about, for most quizzing purposes – but it wasn't the first.

About 600 million years ago, a supercontinent called Pannotia was formed when the early versions of Laurasia and Gondwana came together – separated by what's known as the Congo craton (a craton is the oldest part of a tectonic plate). Pannotia lasted only (!) about fifty million years, breaking up around 550 million years ago.

The three continents that came together to form Panottia were the remnants of the supercontinent Rodinia, which existed between 1.1 billion and 0.75 billion (750 million) years ago.

Before Rodinia we had (going backwards in time) Columbia and Nuna, Atlantica, Arctica, Kenorland, Ur, and Vaalbara. Wikipedia helpfully states that "there has been some debate as to when and even if Vaalbara existed." Elsewhere it dates it to between 3.6 and 2.8 billion years ago.

Earth is estimated to be between 4.5 and 4.6 billion years old.

© Haydn Thompson 2020