New maps reveal hidden landscapes inside a prehistoric supercontinent
Gondwana was much bigger than we thought, according to the new analysis
New maps have revealed the full extent of the prehistoric supercontinent Gondwana, which was much larger than previously believed. The analysis of more than 25,000 volcanic rocks suggests Gondwana accounted for about 80 percent of total global land area around 500 million years ago, significantly more than the 64 percent estimated in older studies.
This massive supercontinent, which formed around 500 million years ago, could have played a crucial role in the Cambrian explosion of life, a period when most modern-day animal ancestors first appeared on Earth. By examining the chemical composition of deep rocks from various databases, researchers mapped Gondwana's hidden landscapes beneath Asia, Europe, and North America.
This newfound information about Gondwana's size and distribution has implications for sea levels, atmospheric gases, and volcanic activity, all of which would have significantly affected early life on Earth. The researchers published their findings in Science Advances, noting that undiscovered parts of the continent might still be submerged or recycled back into Earth's crust, potentially making this new scale an underestimate.
As scientists continue to piece together Earth's early history, the full extent of Gondwana may continue to be revealed.
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