Pangea Ultima is a proposed supercontinent structure of the Earth in the future, expected to occur within the next 100 to 200 million years.
According to the theory of plate tectonics, the Earth’s tectonic plates collide, merge, and form vast, singular landmasses known as supercontinents. The movement and interaction of these plates over millions of years causes the continuous drift of continents across the surface of our planet.
Alfred Wegener, a multidisciplinary German scientist, proposed the theory of continental drift in the early 20th century, asserting that landmasses are not fixed in place. Since then, extensive research has confirmed his theory to be correct. Evidence supporting this includes the distribution of fossils across continents, the way coastlines fit together, and various geological similarities shared between continents that are now distant from each other.
Alfred Wegener was the pioneer of the continental drift theory presented in his work The Origin of Continents and Oceans. He tirelessly worked to restore the fields of geophysics, geography, meteorology, and related geological disciplines, analyzing and specializing in these issues, combining various methods to argue for the theory of continental drift.
However, continental drift does not happen overnight. This process takes millions of years for continents to collide. After colliding, they form mountain ranges and the interiors of continents. As all the continents merge into a vast landmass, they will form a supercontinent. Current scientists believe that a similar process will occur within the next 100 to 250 million years to create Pangea Ultima, a new supercontinent of Earth in the future.
Researchers from the University of Bristol believe that in 250 million years, all continents will merge into a single supercontinent named Pangea Ultima.
Pangea Ultima may be the newest supercontinent, but it is certainly not the first. Evidence and research indicate that Earth has had several supercontinents throughout its history. The most recent supercontinent in Earth’s history was Pangea, which existed from 335 to 175 million years ago during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras. Five supercontinents believed to have existed prior are Vaalbara, Ur, Kenorland, Columbia, and Rodinia.
Pangea Ultima, the seventh supercontinent, will represent the culmination of Earth’s tectonic movements over the next 250 million years. Researchers speculate about the formation of this new supercontinent after running simulations on supercomputers and have published their findings in the journal Nature Geoscience. These simulations predict the emergence of a new supercontinent near the tropical regions close to the equator. Along with this geographical position, we also forecast potential changes in the atmosphere.
Researchers have used climate models to study humidity and temperature patterns that could emerge in Pangea Ultima. This model is very similar to those used for daily weather forecasts but is run on supercomputers and is much more complex and powerful. For example, it can predict factors such as CO2 levels and volcanic gas concentrations in the atmosphere on a global scale.
The formation of supercontinents requires tectonic plates to collide and merge. The immense pressure from these collisions leads to the creation of mountains and volcanoes. In fact, increased volcanic activity is a hallmark of supercontinent formation. We might witness similar occurrences if Pangea Ultima forms.
Volcanic activity affects not only landmasses but also Earth’s atmosphere. Eruptions release vast amounts of gases, such as carbon dioxide, into the environment. The accumulation of these gases has significant impacts on climate, such as higher temperatures and disruptions to weather patterns. Researchers believe that Earth’s temperature could reach astonishing levels of 40-50 degrees Celsius (104-122 degrees Fahrenheit) or even higher at that time.
In addition to the above, researchers also believe that as temperatures rise, weather conditions may become so humid that human existence could be jeopardized.
In this new world, average temperatures could exceed 40°C (104°F) in many parts of the world. Extreme humidity could worsen the situation – and that may not even be the worst part.
While Pangea Ultima may not provide suitable climatic conditions for human habitation, that does not necessarily mean that all life on Earth will cease to exist. At least, that is what the formation of the previous supercontinent Pangaea suggests.
Experts and geologists argue that the formation of Pangea was partly responsible for the mass extinction event during the Permian period. The emergence of Pangea had significant impacts, especially on marine life. As the supercontinent formed, habitats in shallow waters gradually diminished, and terrestrial barriers prevented cold waters from flowing from the poles to the tropics. This led to a decrease in oxygen levels in the warmer waters on Pangaea.
As a result, up to 95% of marine life from the Permian period was wiped out from the Earth’s surface. However, the story does not end there. Both dinosaurs and mammals emerged during the Pangea era. They did not just survive but thrived on Earth for many millennia before going extinct around 65 million years ago. This era also witnessed the appearance of flying reptiles and fish-like reptiles.
Researchers emphasize that most mammal species could vanish due to the formation of Pangea Ultima, but species accustomed to harsh conditions and those that can adapt to such conditions may still survive.
The future of humanity on Pangea Ultima does not seem very promising, but one thing that sets humans apart from other species on Earth is our resilience. We may find good opportunities to locate a new habitable home on a planet beyond our Solar System.
Space colonization may sound like something out of science fiction, but it could become a reality in the near future. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and founder of SpaceX, has outlined plans to collaborate with NASA for Artemis III, the next lunar mission scheduled for 2025. Starship, the spacecraft being developed for this mission, could help establish a base on the Moon. Musk also plans to colonize Mars with a city of one million inhabitants by 2050.
Serkan Saydam, Deputy Director of the Australian Centre for Space Engineering Research and a professor at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, shares this vision and believes that humans could achieve Mars colonization by 2050. With China planning to send human crews to Mars by 2033 and NASA aiming to send astronauts by the late 2030s or early 2040s, the quest for a new home for humanity seems increasingly feasible.
