This is the Pangea Knowledge Hub
Pangea was a vast supercontinent that once brought nearly all of Earth’s land together as a single landmass. The idea was first proposed in the early twentieth century by Alfred Wegener, who suggested that continents were not fixed, but slowly moved across the Earth’s surface. Today, his theory of continental drift is supported by modern plate tectonics and explains how Pangea formed, broke apart, and reshaped the world we know today.
All Earth
The name Pangea comes from the Ancient Greek words pan, meaning “all”, and gaia, meaning “Earth”. It was first used by scientists to describe a time when all of Earth’s continents were joined together as a single landmass. You may also see the name spelled Pangaea, which reflects a closer link to its Greek origins. Both spellings are correct and refer to the same ancient supercontinent, whose breakup eventually led to the continents we recognise today.
A shattered continent
Pangea began to break apart around 200 million years ago as powerful forces within the Earth caused the crust to fracture and slowly pull away. Heat rising from the mantle created cracks in the land, allowing molten rock to rise and new ocean basins to form. Over millions of years, these movements gradually separated the continents, reshaping the planet’s surface. This process, known as continental drift, continues today as tectonic plates slowly move across the Earth.
There were other super continents!
Pangea was not the first supercontinent in Earth’s history. Long before it formed, earlier supercontinents such as Rodinia, Nuna, and Pannotia existed, assembling and breaking apart over hundreds of millions of years. These repeated cycles show that Earth’s continents are constantly moving and reshaping the planet’s surface. Studying these ancient landmasses helps geographers understand long-term plate movement and how today’s continents came to be arranged as they are.
Africa was central...
During the time of Pangea, Africa lay close to the centre of the supercontinent, with many of today’s continents arranged around it. This central position meant Africa shared land borders with regions that would later become South America, North America, Europe, and Antarctica. Evidence for this can be seen in matching rock formations, mountain ranges, and fossil records found across these now-separate continents. Africa’s location helps geographers reconstruct how Pangea was assembled and how it later broke apart.
Africa was central...
During the time of Pangea, Africa lay close to the centre of the supercontinent, with many of today’s continents arranged around it. This central position meant Africa shared land borders with regions that would later become South America, North America, Europe, and Antarctica. Evidence for this can be seen in matching rock formations, mountain ranges, and fossil records found across these now-separate continents. Africa’s location helps geographers reconstruct how Pangea was assembled and how it later broke apart.
The Mid Atlantic Rift
The Mid-Atlantic Rift was one of the first major fractures to form as Pangea began to break apart. Hot material rising from the Earth’s mantle caused the crust to thin and split, allowing magma to rise and create new oceanic crust. Over millions of years, this slow spreading pushed the continents further apart and led to the formation of the Atlantic Ocean. Today, this rift continues to widen as tectonic plates move away from each other, showing that the process is still ongoing.
Vast Deserts
Because Pangea was so large, much of its interior lay far from the influence of oceans. This meant there was very little rainfall, leading to the formation of vast deserts across the centre of the supercontinent. Coastal areas experienced more moderate climates, but inland regions were often hot, dry, and extreme. Evidence of these ancient desert conditions can still be seen today in widespread desert sandstone and fossilised dune patterns found on several continents.
Fossils
Fossils provide some of the strongest evidence that the continents were once joined together. Identical fossils of plants and animals have been discovered on continents now separated by vast oceans, including South America, Africa, India, and Antarctica. These organisms could not have crossed wide oceans, suggesting the landmasses were once connected. By comparing fossil locations, geographers and scientists can reconstruct how Pangea was arranged and how the continents later drifted apart.
Mountain Ranges
Some of the world’s oldest mountain ranges formed when continents collided during the time of Pangea. The Appalachian Mountains in North America were once joined to mountain ranges in Scotland and Scandinavia, forming a single continuous chain. When Pangea later broke apart, these connected ranges were split and carried away on different continents. Matching rock types, ages, and structures on either side of the Atlantic provide strong evidence of this ancient connection.
Extreme Climates
When the continents were joined together as Pangea, there were far fewer coastlines than there are today. Coastal areas tend to have milder climates because the sea helps regulate temperature, but much of Pangea lay far inland. This led to more extreme climates, with hotter summers, colder winters, and lower rainfall in many regions. These conditions helped shape the landscapes, ecosystems, and life that existed during this period in Earth’s history.
Evolution
While the continents were joined as Pangea, many plants and animals could spread across vast areas of land. As the continents slowly separated, populations became isolated from one another by oceans and changing climates. Over millions of years, this isolation caused species to evolve in different ways, adapting to their new environments. This process helps explain why similar groups of animals and plants exist on different continents today, but with distinct differences shaped by evolution.
New Species
As Pangea broke apart, populations of plants and animals became separated by growing oceans and changing environments. These barriers prevented species from mixing, allowing them to adapt independently to local conditions. Over time, this led to the development of new species through a process known as speciation. The breakup of Pangea therefore played a major role in increasing Earth’s biodiversity.
Volcanoes
Volcanic activity played an important role in the breakup of Pangea. As the supercontinent began to stretch and thin, magma rose from deep within the Earth, forcing its way through cracks in the crust. This caused widespread volcanic eruptions, weakening the land and helping it to split apart. Large volcanic regions formed during this time, leaving behind layers of igneous rock that can still be identified on different continents today.
New Species
The movement of Earth’s tectonic plates did not stop with the breakup of Pangea. Today, plates continue to move slowly across the planet’s surface, driven by heat from deep within the Earth. These movements cause earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, mountain building, and the creation of new ocean floor. Although the changes are usually too slow to notice in a human lifetime, they are constantly reshaping the planet, just as they have done for hundreds of millions of years.
Antartica
During the time of Pangea, Antarctica was not always covered in ice. Its position on the supercontinent placed it closer to the equator, giving it a much warmer climate that supported forests and a wide range of plant life. Fossilised tree remains, pollen, and coal deposits provide clear evidence of these ancient environments. As the continents drifted and Antarctica moved southwards towards the pole, temperatures dropped and the ice sheets gradually formed.
Connections
Australia was once joined to Antarctica as part of the southern supercontinent Gondwana. When Pangea began to break apart, these landmasses slowly drifted away from one another, carried by the movement of tectonic plates. Geological evidence, including matching rock layers and fossil species found in both regions, supports this ancient connection. As Australia moved northwards, its climate warmed, while Antarctica continued to cool and become ice-covered.
The Himalayas
The Himalayas are still growing because the tectonic plates beneath India and Asia continue to collide. Unlike many plate boundaries, neither plate sinks beneath the other, so the crust is forced upwards, creating some of the highest mountains on Earth. This collision began millions of years ago and is still ongoing today. As a result, the Himalayas rise by a small amount each year and the region remains prone to earthquakes.
Ocean Currents
When the continents were joined together as Pangea, the shape of the oceans and coastlines was very different from today. This affected how ocean currents moved heat around the planet, influencing global climate patterns. As Pangea broke apart and new oceans formed, currents were redirected, changing temperatures and rainfall across the world. These shifts played a major role in shaping long-term climate and continue to influence Earth’s oceans today.
Climate Zones
As the continents drifted apart after the breakup of Pangea, they gradually moved through different latitudes. This caused climate zones to shift, with some regions becoming warmer and wetter while others grew colder or more arid. Over millions of years, these changes affected landscapes, ecosystems, and the distribution of plants and animals. Evidence of shifting climate zones can be seen today in fossil records, rock types, and ancient soil layers found across the continents.
There will be another super continent!
The formation and breakup of supercontinents is part of a repeating cycle in Earth’s history. Just as Pangea formed and later split apart, scientists believe the continents will one day come together again to form a new supercontinent. This process will take hundreds of millions of years and is driven by the same tectonic forces that shape the planet today. Understanding past supercontinents helps geographers predict how Earth may change far into the future.