Astronomy Picture of the Day
    


Pangea Ultima: Earth in 250 Million Years
<< Yesterday 22.09.2007 Tomorrow >>
Pangea Ultima: Earth in 250 Million Years
Credit & Copyright: C. R. Scotese (U. Texas at Arlington), PALEOMAP
Explanation: Is this what will become of the Earth's surface? The surface of the Earth is broken up into several large plates that are slowly shifting. About 250 million years ago, the plates on which the present-day continents rest were positioned quite differently, so that all the landmasses were clustered together in one supercontinent now dubbed Pangea. About 250 million years from now, the plates are again projected to reposition themselves so that a single landmass dominates. The above simulation from the PALEAOMAP Project shows this giant landmass: Pangea Ultima. At that time, the Atlantic Ocean will be just a distant memory, and whatever beings inhabit Earth will be able to walk from North America to Africa.

APOD editor to review best space pictures in Philadelphia on Wednesday

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
 < September 2007  >
Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su





12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.

Based on Astronomy Picture Of the Day

Publications with keywords: Earth - plate tectonics
Publications with words: Earth - plate tectonics
See also:
All publications on this topic >>