pangaea
Definition
Proper noun A supercontinent that is hypothesized to have existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras, incorporating almost all of Earth's continental landmasses before it began to rift apart approximately 200 million years ago.
Usage
"Pangaea" is used as a proper noun to refer to this specific ancient supercontinent in geological and scientific contexts. * According to the theory of plate tectonics, Pangaea was surrounded by a global ocean called Panthalassa. * The breakup of Pangaea explains why similar fossils are found on continents now separated by vast oceans.
Advanced Usage
- Pangaea Ultima / Neopangaea: A hypothetical future supercontinent, predicted by some models of continental drift, in which the continents merge again.
- Some scientists speculate that a future supercontinent, sometimes called Pangaea Ultima, will form in about 250 million years.
Variants and Related Words
- Pangaean (adjective): Of or relating to the supercontinent Pangaea.
- The Pangaean climate was generally warmer and more uniform than today's.
Synonyms
- Supercontinent (a more general term for a large landmass comprising multiple continents)
Related Concepts
- Laurasia: The northern continental mass that formed after Pangaea split.
- Gondwana / Gondwanaland: The southern continental mass that formed after Pangaea split.
- Plate Tectonics: The geological theory that explains the movement of continents, including the formation and breakup of Pangaea.
- Continental Drift: The hypothesis, preceding plate tectonics, that continents move across the Earth's surface.
Noun
-
(plate tectonics) a hypothetical continent including all the landmass of the earth prior to the Triassic period when it split into Laurasia and Gondwanaland
