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Tectonic plate super cycleThe plate tectonic super cycle is a cycle the earth goes through in a period of 400 to 600 million years from when the continents were a single large land mass to now where they are separate continents which are scattered around the globe. This process is repeated over and over from a large landmass to single continents and back again and is what forms a cycle or a sequence of events. There is much evidence to prove that super cycles have occurred in the past and therefore will occur again in the future. There are supercontinents that scientists have known to have existed prior to Pangaea, the most common supercontinent known today. These smaller supercontinents eventually combined into the large single landmass known as Pangaea. The two supercontinents that Pangaea is made up of is Gondwanaland and Laurasia. Gondwanaland made up the southern part of Pangaea and consists of the countries we know today as Antarctica, South America, Africa, Madagascar, India, Arabia, Australia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand. Laurasia made up the northern hemisphere of Pangaea and consisted of North America, Asia (except India) and Europe.
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PROCESS
The continents slammed together to form the single landmass known as a supercontinent. The process which they went through was through spreading at mid-ocean ridges. Pangaea only occupied a third of the Earth's surface, the rest was ocean. The oceanic lithosphere next to the super-continent begins to subduct because of the spreading that is occurring at a mid-ocean ridge. This subduction leads to volcanic activity which ultimately ends up weakening the crust. An area where subduction occurs is called a subduction zone. So this zone causes a new subduction zone to be created and results in more andesitic volcanos and due to the weakness in the new volcanos and the supercontinent, more spreading occurs. Island arcs and marginal seas are also able to surround the supercontinent. Due to this weakness, the supercontinents starts to split up and creates the continents that we have today. Therefore, if these cycle continues it is able to bring continents back together again and the cycle continues on and on.
The continents slammed together to form the single landmass known as a supercontinent. The process which they went through was through spreading at mid-ocean ridges. Pangaea only occupied a third of the Earth's surface, the rest was ocean. The oceanic lithosphere next to the super-continent begins to subduct because of the spreading that is occurring at a mid-ocean ridge. This subduction leads to volcanic activity which ultimately ends up weakening the crust. An area where subduction occurs is called a subduction zone. So this zone causes a new subduction zone to be created and results in more andesitic volcanos and due to the weakness in the new volcanos and the supercontinent, more spreading occurs. Island arcs and marginal seas are also able to surround the supercontinent. Due to this weakness, the supercontinents starts to split up and creates the continents that we have today. Therefore, if these cycle continues it is able to bring continents back together again and the cycle continues on and on.
EVIDENCE
Dinosaurs are evidence of the fact that Pangaea actually existed. Similar fossils were found in places that are currently separated by oceans as well as the fact that the west coast of Africa and the east coast of South America fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Seafloor spreading in the 1960s also helped prove the theory of how Pangaea existed and mapping of the ocean floor.
Scientists believe that this cycle that has occurred in the past will happen again in 250 million years. Currently the world's continents are again moving that leads to suspicions that they will soon merge again. Australia is slowly inching towards India at the rate of approximately 3 inches per year and the east of Africa is separating from the rest of the continent it is currently in. It is thought that Africa will then smash into Europe and Australia will merge with Asia to create the next supercontinent called Pangaea Ultima.
It is due to this evidence that scientists believe we have a cycle occurring, called the tectonic super cycle. It is a process that occurs over and over and is clearly displayed through the number of times supercontinents have formed in the past and how we are close to having another supercontinent be developed again. The process will keep going, every 300 to 400 million years scientists say that a new supercontinent will be formed.
Dinosaurs are evidence of the fact that Pangaea actually existed. Similar fossils were found in places that are currently separated by oceans as well as the fact that the west coast of Africa and the east coast of South America fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Seafloor spreading in the 1960s also helped prove the theory of how Pangaea existed and mapping of the ocean floor.
Scientists believe that this cycle that has occurred in the past will happen again in 250 million years. Currently the world's continents are again moving that leads to suspicions that they will soon merge again. Australia is slowly inching towards India at the rate of approximately 3 inches per year and the east of Africa is separating from the rest of the continent it is currently in. It is thought that Africa will then smash into Europe and Australia will merge with Asia to create the next supercontinent called Pangaea Ultima.
It is due to this evidence that scientists believe we have a cycle occurring, called the tectonic super cycle. It is a process that occurs over and over and is clearly displayed through the number of times supercontinents have formed in the past and how we are close to having another supercontinent be developed again. The process will keep going, every 300 to 400 million years scientists say that a new supercontinent will be formed.