Pangaea

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Continental Drift Noun

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[kon-ti-nen-tuhl drift]

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Continental Drift

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The hypothesis that Earth's continents are in constant motion and have moved across the planet's surface over geological time.

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Example: This image shows how the supercontinent Pangaea (left) broke apart over millions of years, with the pieces drifting to form the continents we see today (right).

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Pangaea Noun

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[pan-jee-uh]

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Pangaea

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The name of the supercontinent that included all of Earth's landmasses and existed about 300 million years ago.

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Example: This diagram shows the Earth's continents merged into one giant supercontinent, Pangaea, as it existed about 250 million years ago during the Permian period.

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Fossil Noun

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[fos-uhl]

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Fossil

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The preserved remains, impressions, or traces of organisms from a past geologic age, often found within rock layers.

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Example: This diagram shows how identical fossils found in rock layers on separate continents (A and B) prove the landmasses were once connected as Pangaea.

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Glacial Grooves Noun

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[gley-shuhl groovz]

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Glacial Grooves

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Deep scratches and gouges cut into bedrock by the movement of large, debris-filled ice sheets across the land.

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Example: This image shows glacial grooves, which are long scratches carved into bedrock by glaciers, providing evidence for past ice movement and continental drift.

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Supercontinent Noun

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[soo-per-kon-ti-nent]

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Supercontinent

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A single, large landmass formed by the convergence and assembly of multiple continents, such as the ancient Pangaea.

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Example: This diagram shows the supercontinent Pangaea, a single giant landmass that existed millions of years ago, with labels indicating where today's continents were located.

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Paleozoic Era Noun

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[pey-lee-uh-zoh-ik er-uh]

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Paleozoic Era

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The geologic era from about 541 to 252 million years ago, during which the supercontinent Pangaea was assembled.

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Example: This map shows the supercontinent Pangaea, where all the Earth's continents were joined together. This landmass existed during the late Paleozoic Era.

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Mesozoic Era Noun

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[mes-uh-zoh-ik er-uh]

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Mesozoic Era

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The geologic era from about 252 to 66 million years ago, during which the supercontinent Pangaea began to break apart.

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Example: This image shows the three periods of the Mesozoic Era—Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous—and some of the dinosaurs that lived during each time.

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Panthalassa Noun

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[pan-thuh-las-uh]

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Panthalassa

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The single, vast global ocean that surrounded the supercontinent Pangaea during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras.

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Example: This map shows the supercontinent Pangaea surrounded by a single, massive global ocean called Panthalassa, which existed millions of years ago.

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Plate Tectonics Noun

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[pleyt tek-ton-iks]

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Plate Tectonics

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The scientific theory explaining that Earth's outer layer is divided into large, rigid pieces called plates that are in motion.

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Example: This diagram shows tectonic plates moving apart (diverging). This process, called rifting, is how the supercontinent Pangaea broke apart into the continents we see today.

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Lithosphere Noun

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[lith-uh-sfeer]

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Lithosphere

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The rigid outer part of the Earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle, which is broken into tectonic plates.

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Example: This map shows that the Earth's lithosphere is broken into large, moving pieces called tectonic plates, which explains how continents drifted apart from Pangaea.