By in Science & Nature —

Beyond Today's Maps: The Slow, Unstoppable Collision Forming Pangaea Proxima

Plate tectonics are slowly rearranging our world. In 250 million years, the Atlantic may vanish, merging the Americas with a fused Afro-Eurasian landmass. This theorized supercontinent, Pangaea Proxima, offers a profound look at the dynamic, ever-changing nature of Earth's surface.

We tend to think of the world map as a fixed, permanent thing. Continents are where they are, oceans separate them, and that's that. But the ground beneath our feet is in constant, imperceptibly slow motion. Driven by the heat of the Earth’s core, the tectonic plates that make up our planet's crust are always drifting, colliding, and tearing apart. This geological waltz has a long history of bringing the world's landmasses together and then breaking them apart again. And if we look far enough into the future, a new supercontinent is waiting to be born: Pangaea Proxima.

A World Adrift

The term, meaning "the next Pangaea," was coined by geologist Dr. Christopher Scotese of the University of Texas at Arlington. It represents the leading forecast for Earth's geography roughly 250 million years from now. This isn't science fiction; it's a projection based on the current, measurable movements of our continents. The Atlantic Ocean, for instance, is currently widening, but it contains areas of subduction—where one plate slides beneath another. The forecast for Pangaea Proxima hinges on this subduction eventually consuming the Atlantic seafloor, pulling the Americas back towards Africa and Europe.

Dr. Scotese describes the process with a certain clarity:

"It’s all a bit of a puzzle. The geology is the easy part. The part that’s difficult to predict is the politics and the people… But the plates will continue to move as they are, regardless of what we do."

The Blueprint for a New World

So, what would this future Earth look like? The changes are staggering. As the Americas drift eastward, the Atlantic Ocean will narrow and ultimately disappear. North and South America will collide with the fused Afro-Eurasian landmass. This colossal collision will buckle the crust, forging a new mountain range in the heart of the supercontinent, likely rivaling or even surpassing the Himalayas.

Meanwhile, Africa's steady march northward will completely close the Mediterranean Sea, crunching Italy, Greece, and the surrounding islands into the European continent. Australia is predicted to continue its journey north, eventually merging with Southeast Asia. At the center of this massive landmass, a large inland sea might remain—a remnant of today's Indian Ocean. The rest of the globe would be dominated by a single, colossal Pacific Ocean, larger than any body of water on Earth today.

Life in the Far Future

The formation of Pangaea Proxima would have profound and likely devastating consequences for life. Supercontinents are known for their extreme climates. With a landmass so vast, much of the interior would become an immense, arid desert, far from the moderating influence of the ocean. Temperatures could reach levels inhospitable to most mammals.

A 2023 study published in Nature Geoscience modeled this very scenario, concluding that much of the supercontinent could experience temperatures exceeding 40°C (104°F), making it uninhabitable for many species, including humans, if we were still around. This raises a sobering point: the same geological forces that create worlds are also capable of creating conditions that destroy them. The collision of continents would trigger massive volcanic activity, releasing vast amounts of carbon dioxide and further intensifying the greenhouse effect on an already stressed planet.

A Future Written in Stone, But Not Ink

It's important to remember that Pangaea Proxima is just one of several possible futures. Other models, like "Amasia," propose the Americas and Asia will merge over the Arctic. Another, "Novopangaea," suggests the Pacific will close instead of the Atlantic. The exact configuration depends on complex geological variables that are difficult to predict with certainty over such immense timescales.

Regardless of the final shape, the takeaway is the same: our planet is a dynamic, living system. The world we inhabit is but a single frame in an epic movie that has been running for billions of years and will continue long after we are gone. The slow, inevitable drift of continents is a powerful reminder of our fleeting place in Earth’s grand, geological story.

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