Re: The Moon, Pangea and Drake's Equation

Yousuf Khan <bbbl67@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in news:47c95d21$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:

Agent Smith wrote:
I've always been fascinated by the gross planetary dipole
antisymmetry associated with the supercontinent Pangea, and wondered
whether it was the other half of the dipole left behind when the moon
separated from the earth. However, Pangea only dates to 225 million
years ago, while the moon was created about 3.5 billion years ago.
This leaves unaccounted for the entire period of time between those
two dates.

Pangaea was not the first supercontinent, it was only the latest. The
earliest is called Vaalbara, from 3.1 Ga - 2.8 Ga (Ga = giga-annum
(billion years) ago). The next one was Kenorland, around 2.7 Ga - 2.5
Ga. Next came Columbia, from 1.8 Ga - 1.5 Ga. Then came Rodinia,
around 1.1 Ga - 750 Ma. Then finally Pangaea, at 300 Ma - 180 Ma.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supercontinent

Were there scattered continents on the surface, between the periods when
everything was coalesced into a super-continent?

It seems like supercontinents are formed every 250 million years, so
we have another supercontinental cycle coming our way soon. That next
supercontinent will be called Pangaea Ultima, or maybe Amasia.

Then likely it'll all come to an end, in 1 billion years as the Sun
will have boiled all of the waters off the Earth and there will be no
more distinction between Supercontinents or Superoceans. The Sun won't
be a red giant yet, but it will be entering a new phase where it will
burn 10% hotter than today.

Yousuf Khan

Do you have a reliable link to that?
.

Relevant Pages

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  • Re: The Moon, Pangea and Drakes Equation
    ... associated with the supercontinent Pangea, and wondered whether it was the other half of the dipole left behind when the moon separated from the earth. ... Pangaea was not the first supercontinent, ... That next supercontinent will be called Pangaea Ultima, ... Then likely it'll all come to an end, in 1 billion years as the Sun will have boiled all of the waters off the Earth and there will be no more distinction between Supercontinents or Superoceans. ...
    (sci.astro)