Future Plate Tectonics: Pangea Proxima - Vignette 10

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This speculative animation shows what the world might look like 250 million years in the future. The first 50 million years is a simple projection of current plate motions. After 75 million years changes in plate boundaries (e.g. collision of Africa with southern Europe and the subduction of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge beneath North and South America) result in a realignment of the forces that drive the plates and cause a fundamental change in the motions of the plates. In 250 million years the Atlantic and Indian Oceans close forming the new supercontinent of "Pangea Proxima" (literally the next Pangea).

Area of geographic interest: global. Geological time interval: modern to +250 million years in the future.

[Note: Pangea Proxima was originally called "Pangea Ultima", but that was a misnomer. This future pangea is the "next" pangea, not the "last" pangea.]

keywords: Pangea, plate tectonics, future plate tectonics, Pangea Proxima, Pangea Ultima, new subduction zones, future Pangea, Scotese, animation

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There is no certainty about the future plate geometry of the Earth, but using current plate motions and tectonic principles we can make educated guesses about future plate configurations. We surmise that the Atlantic and Indian Oceans will continue to widen until a new subduction zone brings these continents back together, eventually forming a new supercontinent, “Pangea Proxima”.

The northward trajectory of Africa suggests that the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden will close, and that the East African Rift will not grow into an ocean basin. Africa will collide with Europe and Arabia closing the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. A Himalayan-scale mountain range will extend from Spain, across Southern Europe, through the Middle East and into Asia. Similarly, Australia will collide with Southeast Asia and a new subduction zone will encircle Australia, extending westwards across the Central Indian Ocean.

One of the key events in this geography of the future is the beginning of subduction along the eastern coasts of North America and South America. As the Atlantic Ocean widens, the Puerto Rican Trough and Scotia Arc propagate northward and southward along the east coast of North and South America. In time, this new westward dipping subduction zone will consume the Atlantic Ocean.

The Atlantic Ocean, 100 million years in the future, will begin to narrow by subduction beneath the Americas. The Indian Ocean will also contract due to northward subduction into the Central Indian trench. Antarctica will collide along the southern margin of Australia, and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the last vestige of seafloor spreading in the Atlantic Ocean basin, will be subducted beneath eastern North America. Once the last bit of the Atlantic Ocean’s spreading ridge is subducted beneath the Americas, the Atlantic Ocean will rapidly close and a new supercontinent will begin to form. The rocks that contain the remains of ancient New York City, Boston and Washington DC will be sitting atop high mountain ranges.

About 250 million years in the future, the Atlantic and Indian oceans will have closed. North America will have collided with Africa, but in a more southerly position than from where it rifted. In this new supercontinent, South America is wrapped around the southern tip of Africa, with Patagonia in contact with Antarctica and Indonesia, enclosing a remnant of the Indian Ocean. The Pacific has grown much wider, encircling more than half the Earth. We call this future supercontinent, "Pangea Proxima", because it would be the next Pangea, but not necessarily the last!
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Good to see New Zealand maintaining its independence

jmanngod
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I'm curious. This model omits the East African rift zone. They're saying that it will eventually rift away from Africa and a new ocean will be created.

MarkRenn
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How beautiful is our world. Thank you very much Dr. Scotese for these marvelous videos.

erolcortesgarcia
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I love how smooth the fusions of North America, South America, Africa, both sides of Antarctica and Australia are

kuutti
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Thanks. I always watch first. It wasn't long before I saw abrupt changes and thought, "Where did those velocities come from." But the description is well written. And it could up to 50 million years before anyone presents an alternate video. It's fascinating as always.

edwardlulofs
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Когда смотришь эти видео, думаешь, как мелочны люди со своими страстями, обидами, алчностью, войнами.. Жизнь человеческая - это краткий миг. Респект из России.

ТатьянаНекрасова-ес
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I was just wanting to see this. I realize it's all subjective and speculative, but fascinating to think about nevertheless.

melodiefrances
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It would be very interesting if Pangea Proxima has a big lake in its middle!

melodiefrances
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Awesome!!! I was intrigued to see the hot and cold cycles projected as well. Now if only we could receive a message from the future for validation😎

flatlandriver
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Dear Mr. Scotese,
I highly appreciated your scientific suggested proposal animation for future plate tectonics formations/deforestation within a cycle of 250-ma. I will be looking for your future tectonics plate animation form designated specifically to Middle East, please.

MrRamadhansj
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Thank you for these latest Vignettes ! I need to take time to study them closely, particularly relating to the events in and around my home state of Georgia. Smoky Mountains. Warm Springs. Pine Mountain. I think there may be evidence of ancient calderas around Pine Mountain.

ravingcyclist
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Can you imagine the power of the future typhoons that will crash on the Oriental coast of Pangea Proxima?

In a world without ice caps and a gigantic ocean with warm currents, hurricanes and typhoons will have all the time and resources to grow more.

The future hurricanes/typhoons will be as big as Typ and as powerful as Katrina in every season.

Phranciscusmagnus
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0:25 phase 1
0:30 phase 2
0:34 phase 3
0:40 phase 4
0:45 phase 5
0:51 phase 6
0:55 phase 7
1:00 phase 8
1:05 phase 9
1:12 pangaea proxima

เบญญาภาทองเฟื่อง-ทฅ
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🇳🇿 New Zealand: I refuse to join the World Continent.

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka: I refuse to join India.

zealandia
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New Zealand’s South Island and Baja California move significantly in first 100 million years.

wgb
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I'd like to make a suggestion: Please don't use those overlaying numbers but instead change each digit. Reason: I show those in class in slow motion and those overlaying numbers are super hard to read that way.

whuzzzup
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Love from India . Thanks sir for visualisation

ASHISHKUMAR-nbjq
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Muito interessante o movimento das placas tectônicas.

canalgilmardiasfreire
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Mr Scotese, I'm curious as to if it is even possible to reconstruct what the oceanic topography was like prior to pangea rifting apart and if its even possible to predict what the topography of the oceans could be like in the future.

astroevada
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Haha Alfred Wegener you are a crazy little man

Incomprehensibly