The Land has witnessed the formation of supercontinents in regular cycles of approximately 600 million years. The last of them was Pangeawhich fragmented about 180 million years ago.
The continents, in a constant movement that is almost imperceptible to humans, are getting closer again, which will give rise to the formation of a new supercontinent in a distant future.
Experts from the University of Lisbon have developed four models for the formation of this new supercontinent: Novopangea, Pangea Ultima, Amasia and Aurica. Of these, Amasia is the one most likely to occur.
How will Amasia be formed?
According to the Amasia model, all continents will move towards the northern hemisphere. America would merge with Europe, Africa would impact with Europe, and Asia would unite with Australia, leaving the entire complex located on the Arctic Ocean. Antarctica would be alone in the southern hemisphere.
What consequences would the formation of Amasia have?
In collaboration with NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, a simulation of the climate that could be presented in Amasia. The simulation predicts a new Ice Agewhich would cause a significant loss of current biodiversity.
Other researchers, from Curtin University and Peking University, have proposed an alternative model for Amasia. This model proposes that Australia would first collide with Asia, and then this group would advance until it joins with America. Antarctica would join South America, and Africa would join Asia on the one hand already Europe on the other, the Pacific Ocean completely disappearing.
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This alternative scenario would cause a decrease in sea level, which would reduce biodiversity and make the soil more arid. There is still no certainty about which model is most likely to occur. However, the formation of a new supercontinent is an inevitable event that will take place in the distant future.
Research on the formation of supercontinents allows us to better understand the geological history of the Land and anticipate possible climatic and geological changes that could occur in the future.
When would it happen?
The formation of the next supercontinent, Amasia, is estimated to will occur within 200 to 250 million years. This is a considerably long period of time, compared to the human time scale. To put it in perspective, the last time a supercontinent formed was 310 million years ago, when Pangea dominated the Earth. Land.
It is important to remember that the formation of supercontinents is a gradual process, taking millions of years. The continents move at a rate of a few centimeters per year, imperceptible to human life.
Although the formation of Amasia is far in the future, research into this event allows us to better understand the Earth's geological history and anticipate possible climate and geological changes that could occur.
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