What is the supercontinent cycle?

The supercontinent cycle is the quasi-periodic process where Earth's continental crust aggregates into a single massive landmass and then disperses again. Driven by plate tectonics, each complete cycle takes between 300 and 500 million years to finish. Continental collisions create fewer, larger landmasses, while rifting tears them apart into smaller pieces.

What we know

• The supercontinent cycle describes the quasi-periodic aggregation and dispersal of Earth's continental crust. [3]
• One complete supercontinent cycle takes an estimated 300 to 500 million years. [3]
• Continental collision merges blocks into fewer and larger continents, whereas rifting generates more and smaller continents. [3]
• Pangaea is the most recent supercontinent, existing from about 335 or 336 million years ago until it began breaking apart roughly 175 million years ago. [2, 5]

Still open

• There are varying opinions among scientists as to whether the total amount of continental crust is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant over time.

Where to go next

• how it workedHow do tectonic plates open and close ocean basins?
• a case in pointWhat was the most recent supercontinent like?
• what followedWill a new supercontinent form in the future?
• compared withWhat defines a supercontinent versus other continental groupings?
• what caused itWhat forces drive the movement of continental blocks?
• an unexpected connectionHow does the opening and closing of the Atlantic Ocean relate to supercontinents?The Wilson Cycle explains how individual ocean basins like the Atlantic open and close as part of the broader assembly and disassembly of supercontinents.

Sources

• [1]supercontinent (Wikidata Q55833) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Supercontinent · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Supercontinent cycle · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Wilson Cycle · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Pangaea · CC BY-SA 4.0