What Did Pangaea Look like?

Summary

This script explores the ancient supercontinent Pangaea, hypothesizing its geography around 100-90 million years ago. It discusses the formation of mountain ranges like the Central Pangaean Range and the impact of oceans on climate and ecology. The video also delves into the ancient ocean currents and their effects on rainfall, leading to a reconstruction of the land cover with forests, deserts, and savannas. The summary concludes with the acknowledgment of the limitations of the reconstruction and the need for further collaborative research.

Takeaways

• 🧩 Alfred Wegener noticed that the continents fit together like a puzzle, leading to his theory of continental drift.
• 📚 Wegener published 'The Origin of Continents and Oceans' in 1915, introducing the concept of a supercontinent he called 'Pangaea'.
• 🌐 Pangaea existed for about 160 million years, forming around 335 million years ago and breaking apart about 175 million years ago.
• 🏞 The script attempts to estimate the geography of Pangaea around 100 to 90 million years ago, during the Triassic-Jurassic extinction event.
• 🏞️ Major mountain ranges like the Himalayas had not yet formed during Pangaea's existence, with older ranges such as the Appalachians and Scottish Highlands being prominent.
• ⛰️ The central Pangaea mountain range was formed by the convergence of older mountain ranges across the supercontinent.
• 🌊 The Panthalassa Ocean surrounded most of Pangaea, with the Tethys Sea being a significant water body within it.
• 🌡️ Carbon dioxide levels were significantly higher 200 million years ago, resulting in a warmer global climate with no glaciers at the poles.
• 🌳 The environment of Pangaea was likely a mix of forests in wet areas and deserts in dry areas, with savannas as transitional zones.
• 🌍 Ocean currents and wind patterns would have influenced the climate and ecology of Pangaea, with warm currents fostering forests and cold currents creating deserts.
• 🗺️ The video script concludes with a hypothetical map of Pangaea's geography based on the discussed factors, acknowledging the need for further research and collaboration.

Q & A

What did Alfred Wegener notice about the continents in the early 20th century?

Alfred Wegener noticed that the eastern coast of South America and the western coast of Africa fit together nicely, almost like two pieces of a puzzle, suggesting the concept of continental drift.

What did Wegener call the supercontinent in his 1915 book?

Wegener called the supercontinent 'Urkontinent' in German in his 1915 book 'The Origin of the Continents and Oceans'.

What term did Wegener coin for the supercontinent in the 1920 edition of his book?

In the 1920 edition of his book, Wegener coined the term 'Pangaea' from the Greek words 'pan' meaning all and 'Gaia' meaning earth.

What is the significance of the Central Pangaean Range in the context of Pangaea?

The Central Pangaean Range refers to a single continuous mountain range that would have existed across the supercontinent Pangaea, formed by the Appalachian Mountains, the Little Atlas Mountains, and the Scottish Highlands.

How did the breakup of Pangaea contribute to the formation of today's major mountain ranges?

The breakup of Pangaea led to the formation of many of today's major mountain ranges as the continents moved apart and collided, causing uplift and the creation of mountains like the Himalayas.

What was the Panthalassa Ocean and how did it relate to the world's climate during Pangaea's existence?

The Panthalassa Ocean was the ocean that encompassed most of the world during Pangaea's existence. Its size and the ocean currents influenced the climate and ecology of the supercontinent, affecting rainfall and creating arid and humid regions.

How did the ocean currents during Pangaea's time potentially impact the climate?

Ocean currents during Pangaea's time would have influenced the climate by affecting rainfall patterns. Warm water currents would have increased evaporation and rainfall near the coasts, while cold currents would have resulted in less evaporation and drier climates inland.

What was the Virgin Orogeny and its impact on the mountain ranges of Pangaea?

The Virgin Orogeny was a substantial mountain-building event that led to the growth of the Alps, Pyrenees, Ural Mountains, and Tian Shan Mountains, placing mountains along significant lines on the map of Pangaea.

How did the high levels of carbon dioxide during Pangaea's time affect the global climate?

The high levels of carbon dioxide, about 5 times greater than today's levels, resulted in global temperatures averaging roughly 3 degrees Celsius warmer than modern times, creating a greenhouse earth with subtropical and tropical climates even at the North Pole.

What were the primary determining factors for the environment in Pangaea based on the script?

The primary determining factors for the environment in Pangaea were moisture levels, influenced by ocean currents and proximity to the sea, which resulted in forests in wet areas and deserts in dry areas, with savannas as transitional zones.

What method does the script suggest for improving the map of Pangaea's geography?

The script suggests collecting and analyzing plant fossils from the Pangaea era to determine the type of environment they grew in, which could be used to reconstruct the landscape more accurately.

Outlines

00:00

🌏 Formation and Concept of Pangaea

The script begins with an exploration of Alfred Wegener's observation of continental fit and his subsequent publication of the theory of continental drift, culminating in the concept of 'Pangaea'. Pangaea, a supercontinent from 335 to 175 million years ago, underwent constant geological changes. The video aims to estimate the geography of Pangaea around 100 to 90 million years ago, focusing on its mountain ranges, such as the Central Pangaeic Range formed by the Appalachian Mountains, the Little Atlas Mountains, and the Scottish Highlands. These ancient ranges, along with others like the Laurentian Mountains and the Guiana Shield, shaped the supercontinent's landscape. The Andes and the mountains of eastern Brazil and western Africa were also discussed, highlighting the Virgin Orogeny's role in creating the Alps, Pyrenees, and other Eurasian ranges.

05:02

🌊 Ocean Currents and Climate of Pangaea

The second paragraph delves into the oceanography of Pangaea, focusing on the Panthalassa Ocean and the Tethys Sea. It discusses the influence of these bodies of water on climate and ecology, emphasizing the role of ocean currents in shaping weather patterns. The script speculates on the likely circulation patterns based on the Earth's rotation and wind patterns, suggesting the existence of gyres in the northern and southern hemispheres. The monsoon season's impact on rainfall is also considered. The paragraph highlights how higher CO2 levels during Pangaea's time, compared to today, would have resulted in a warmer 'greenhouse Earth', affecting the distribution of forests, deserts, and savannas based on moisture availability rather than temperature.

10:02

🏞️ Reconstructing Pangaea's Land Cover

The final paragraph discusses the reconstruction of Pangaea's land cover, using the understanding of ocean currents and ancient climate conditions. It describes how cold and warm ocean currents would have influenced the distribution of deserts and forests, respectively. The script proposes a hypothetical map of Pangaea with equatorial forests, extensive deserts in the interiors, and savannas as transition zones. It acknowledges the limitations of this reconstruction and suggests that a more accurate depiction would require extensive collaboration and analysis of plant fossils from the era. The video concludes by inviting viewers to support the creator's Patreon for more content and to provide feedback on the map created in the video.

Keywords

💡Alfred Wegener

Alfred Wegener was a German scientist who is best known for proposing the theory of continental drift. In the video, Wegener's observation that the eastern coast of South America and the western coast of Africa fit together like puzzle pieces is highlighted as the starting point for his hypothesis. His work led to the concept of a supercontinent, which he named 'Pangaea' in a later edition of his book 'The Origin of Continents and Oceans'.

💡Continental Drift

Continental drift is the idea that continents move across the Earth's surface over geological time. In the script, Wegener's observations of the fit between continents led him to propose this theory, which was heavily criticized at the time but is now a fundamental concept in the theory of plate tectonics.

💡Pangaea

Pangaea refers to a supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras, which included almost all of Earth's landmasses. The term was coined by Wegener and is derived from the Greek words 'pan' meaning 'all' and 'Gaia' meaning 'earth'. In the video, the concept of Pangaea is central to the discussion of the Earth's geological past and the reconstruction of its geography.

💡Plate Tectonics

Plate tectonics is the scientific theory that describes the large-scale motion of Earth's lithosphere. The video mentions that Pangaea and plate tectonics are now common knowledge, indicating the acceptance of the idea that the Earth's crust is divided into plates that move over time, causing the formation and breakup of supercontinents like Pangaea.

💡Mountain Ranges

Mountain ranges are a series of mountains that form a line. The script discusses the existence of ancient mountain ranges during the time of Pangaea, such as the Appalachian Mountains, the Little Atlas Mountains, and the Scottish Highlands, which were part of the Central Pangaean Range. These ranges provide insight into the geological history and the physical features of the supercontinent.

💡Geological Timescale

The geological timescale is a system of chronological measurement used by geologists, archaeologists, and other Earth scientists to describe the timing and relationships of events that have occurred during Earth's history. The video refers to the timescale to discuss the formation and breakup of Pangaea, emphasizing the dynamic nature of Earth's geography over millions of years.

💡Ocean Currents

Ocean currents are the continuous movement of ocean water in a specific direction, driven by various factors including temperature, salinity, and wind. The script explores how ocean currents during the time of Pangaea would have influenced the climate and ecology of the supercontinent, affecting rainfall and creating different environmental zones.

💡Panthalassa Ocean

The Panthalassa Ocean was the vast ocean that surrounded the supercontinent Pangaea. Its name translates to 'all sea' in Greek, reflecting its size and significance. The video discusses how this ocean would have played a crucial role in shaping the climate and environment of Pangaea.

💡Climate and Ecology

Climate and ecology are interconnected as climate patterns influence the types of ecosystems and species that can thrive in a given area. The script examines how the climate of Pangaea, affected by ocean currents and the position of landmasses, would have led to distinct ecological zones, including forests, deserts, and savannas.

💡Carbon Dioxide Levels

Carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere have a significant impact on global temperatures and climate. The video mentions that during the time of Pangaea, CO2 levels were significantly higher than today, leading to a warmer 'greenhouse Earth' with subtropical and tropical conditions even at the poles.

💡Monsoon Season

A monsoon season is a period of heavy rainfall that typically occurs in tropical regions during the summer months. The script describes an equatorial monsoon season in Pangaea that would have brought substantial rainfall, influencing the distribution of forests and other ecosystems across the supercontinent.

Highlights

Alfred Wegener's observation of the fitting coastlines of South America and Africa led to the hypothesis of continental drift.

Wegener published 'The Origin of Continents and Oceans' in 1915, introducing the concept of a supercontinent.

The term 'Pangaea' was coined from Greek, meaning 'all earth', and popularized in the 1920 edition of Wegener's book.

Pangaea existed for approximately 160 million years, forming around 335 million years ago and breaking apart 175 million years ago.

The geological processes within Pangaea were dynamic, with the supercontinent constantly changing over time.

Major mountain ranges like the Himalayas had not yet formed during Pangaea's existence.

Older mountain ranges such as the Appalachians, Little Atlas, and Scottish Highlands formed a continuous range called the Central Pangaean Range.

The Central Pangaean Range was once as tall as the Himalayas but has since been eroded to its current form.

The Panthalassa Ocean, encompassing most of the world, influenced the climate and ecology of Pangaea.

Ocean currents and wind patterns during Pangaea's time can be inferred from the Earth's rotation and historical wind patterns.

The equatorial current and monsoon season would have played a significant role in the distribution of rainfall across Pangaea.

Carbon dioxide levels were significantly higher during Pangaea's time, leading to a warmer 'greenhouse earth'.

The climate of Pangaea was characterized by forests in wet areas and deserts in dry areas, with savannas as transitional zones.

The rainshadow effect would have created arid regions on the leeward side of mountain ranges.

The reconstruction of Pangaea's geography is an approximation based on current geological knowledge and fossil evidence.

Further research involving plant fossils could provide a more detailed understanding of Pangaea's landscape.

The video suggests using Patreon support for continued creation of educational content.

Transcripts

in the early 20th century the German

scientist Alfred Wegener noticed that

the eastern coast of South America and

the western coast of Africa fit together

nicely almost like two pieces of a

puzzle fitting together then Madagascar

fit nicely around the side of Africa

while parts of India seemed to have a

place as well despite heavy criticism

Wagner went on to publish the book the

origin of the continents and oceans in

1915 pushing the concept of what he

called her continent meaning

supercontinent in German except in a

1920 edition of the book where for a

single time he called the land of the

Pangaea of the Carboniferous coining the

term from the Greek pan meaning the

entire or all and Gaia meaning earth of

course it was the Latinization of this

word that became the more common phrase

now Pangaea and today Pangaea and the

larger theory of plate tectonics are

more or less common knowledge beyond

that though I don't know if I've ever

actually seen a good prediction on what

the continent actually looked like most

maps you'll find are either too

simplistic for my taste or just an

artistic representation of Pangaea which

can trade accuracy for aesthetic so what

I'd like to do today is make a rough

estimate of what some of the geography

of Pangaea was like and hopefully by the

end we'll have a cool map for something

obviously this will just be an

approximation based on what we know so

far about the supercontinent so with

that in mind let's get started the first

Pangaea itself existed for around 160

million years forming around 335 million

years ago and breaking apart roughly 175

million years ago over this time Earth's

geological engine was still turning

underneath meaning that on a geologic

timescale Pangaea would have been

constantly changing and so one general

map of Pangaea can't really be made

instead we're going to need to pick a

specific time in pangaea's past to look

at this one's gonna be a bit arbitrary

but we're going to aim for between 100

and 90 million years to 230 million

years ago this was around the time of

the triassic-jurassic extinction event

during which 20 to 30 percent of all

marine species went extinct for this

time the most accurate map for Pangaea I

could

and was this one but using this we can

now begin to look at specific features

and to start and look to look at some of

the mountain ranges that would and would

not have existed during this time for

starters nearly every major mountain

range on earth today had not formed yet

the Himalayas for example only began to

form 50 million years ago when India

collided with Asia and overall it was

the tearing apart of Pangaea that

actually gave us many of our mountains

and the reason these all happened to be

our tallest is because they haven't had

enough time to a road so to find out

what would have been around during this

time we need to look at some of the

oldest mountains remaining on the earth

such as the Appalachian Mountains of the

United States

the little Atlas Mountains of Morocco

and the Scottish Highlands of Great

Britain all of which are nearly 500

million years old

now it just so happens that these three

mountain ranges would have formed a

single continuous mountain range across

the supercontinent called the central

pangaean range and while none of these

ranges stand particularly high today

four different mountain building events

in the past produced a mountain range

that was once as tall as the Himalayas

are now essentially separating the

continent between the two remnants of

older supercontinent Gondwana and

Laurasia it was only with several

hundred million years of weathering and

erosion that these once great mountains

were whittled away to the gentle slopes

of today however there were of course

other mountain ranges here as well

nearby the Laurentian Mountains of

Quebec reaching into Greenland for

example were also created during the

Grenville orogeny

making this area of Pangaea occupied now

by Canada and the United States some of

the most mountainous land on the earth

at the time then there was the Guiana

Shield a series of mountains and

Highlands in South America with a

history that extends back nearly 1.7

million years though you can just barely

make it out on modern elevation maps of

the region we also would have seen some

of the earliest mountain building in the

Andes with the start of the Andean

orogeny these would have been just the

beginnings of mountains however and

nothing like what they are now

then as the lower section of Pangea what

was previously Gondwana began to tear

itself apart

splitting Africa from South America

mountains were created around the divide

resulting in the mountains of eastern

Brazil and western Africa South Africa

is actually where many of the world's

oldest mountain ranges are today with

the oldest being the Macondo mountains

lastly I want to talk about the Virgin

orogeny which was another substantial

mountain building event that led to the

growth of the Alps and the Pyrenees in

Europe and spread all the way out to the

Ural Mountains of Russia and the tian

shan mountains of central asia as well

as many other mountain ranges sprawling

all the way to the far coastal primordia

region also in modern-day Russia

this places mountains roughly along

these lines on our map of Pangaea and

with that we finished making the

important two mountain ranges at the

time after mountains next i'd actually

like to talk about the ocean first there

was the Panthalassa ocean the ocean

which encompassed most of the world with

its name literally translating into the

all sea in greek and then we'd get the

beginnings of the toughest if considered

separate from the Panthalassa ocean and

this body of water would have been

around a sixty million square kilometers

a bit smaller than the indian ocean

today but still much larger than the

Arctic Ocean what I'm interested in

however isn't the size of these oceans

but how the ocean during this time would

have influenced the climate and ecology

of bland I don't think anyone will be

surprised to hear that the ocean can

affect climate in multiple different

ways in terms of rainfall lands directly

beside the ocean will typically

experience greater amounts of it while

the continental interiors the lands

furthest from the ocean will become

increasingly arid we can see a similar

effect taking place across Central Asia

today where due to its remoteness a band

of dry regions can be found crossing

nearly the entire body of Asia but I

wish it were that simple the thing we

really need to look at is ocean currents

or how the waters of the ocean would

have circulated around the world that

during this time

now there isn't really great fossil

evidence for what ocean currents would

have been like so there's nothing really

tangible for us to go on but we still

know how the earth was rotating

basically the same way it does now and

because of this we know that the wind

patterns across the earth would be

virtually the same as they are now

meaning they'd look like this now it's

the winds that push surface waters

around so knowing these winds we can

reconstruct a general schematic for

water circulation at least at the

surface first by the equator both winds

from north and south pushed the water in

a westerly direction creating an ocean

current moving to the west across

equatorial waters because it's at the

equator these waters will also be warm

water currents which will be important

later this equatorial current would

continue flowing westward from the

Panthalassa

ocean pushing warm water into the

tempest until it reached land where this

happened the waters would have been

diverted around in the northern

hemisphere this sends water upwards and

eventually back out cooling down in the

process in the south well a similar

thing happens as the water deflects and

cools down a little before getting sent

back east tracing these water movements

onto the other side of the continent

we'd still have that westward moving

current at the equator due to the trade

winds in the north this current would

have mostly deflected downward with some

of its drying into this northern inland

ocean area the downward flowing waters

would begin warming back up eventually

joining the equatorial current

completing the northern ocean gyre

in the south the current would have to

travel a bit further until it came into

contact with this shoulder of land here

the waters were diverted as well with

some of them traveling back up north

again warming in the process and then

some of the water would also divert to

the south and travel as cold water

across the southern end of Pangaea until

joining with the currents here and

keeping on eastward completing the

Southern Ocean gyre and there you have

it a basic illustration of what the

ocean currents that interacted with the

lands could have looked like lastly and

I'm not going to really explain why

there would have been a yearly

equatorial monsoon season blowing great

amounts of rain from the Panthalassa

into the tempest inundating many of the

lands surrounding the tethers on with

great amounts of

honor knowing these simple

characteristics about the earth and it's

ocean at this time we're almost ready to

start figuring out the land cover but

before we do that we need to know how

different the conditions of the earth

would have been compared to what they

are now firstly 200 million years ago

average carbon dioxide levels would have

been around 1850 parts per million in

the atmosphere compared to 400 parts per

million were hovering at today meaning

the co2 concentrations around this time

would have been about 5 times greater

than what it is today and six times

greater than what it was before the

Industrial Revolution this would have

resulted in global temperatures

averaging roughly 3 degrees Celsius

warmer than modern times in while this

might not sound like a lot fossils from

the North Pole 200 million years ago

show subtropical and even some tropical

plants growing here and there's

absolutely no evidence of glaciers or

really any ice existing on earth at this

time besides maybe within the mountain

ranges in other words this would have

been a greenhouse earth where even the

North Pole could have been covered in

tropical rainforests if the moisture

levels were right because only warm

climate environments could have existed

at this time this rules out the

existence of any large temperate

environments so if temperature was less

of a designing factor at the time this

would have made moisture the primary

determining factor for the environment

because of this the lands of Pangaea

would have been balanced between

basically two radically different

environments where it was wet there

would have been forests and where it was

dry there would have been hot deserts

and of course where it rained a moderate

amount a narrow tropical savanna would

have appeared as a transition zone

between the two extremes using the ocean

currents and mountains then we can start

to figure out where there might have

been forests and desert and then fill in

the lands between them with savanna to

start I'm first going to look at the

ocean currents cold water evaporates

very little producing very low levels of

moisture in the atmosphere which in turn

produces only small amounts of rain so

beside lands with cold currents running

along them I'm going to put deserts in

where the surface waters are warm

evaporation occurs more readily filling

the air with moisture which eventually

falls back to the surrounding earth as

rain

so wherever warm waters flow beside the

land I'm going to make into forests

these trends still clearly exist to this

day by the way like off the coast of

California where cold ocean water moves

turning the land here pretty arid and

creating environments like the Mojave

Desert while on the other side of the

u.s. warm Atlantic waters flow up from

the Caribbean resulting in a much more

humid eastern United States this is also

true for South America Africa and

Australia however I mentioned earlier

that the further into the interior you

go the likely the drier it would become

so I'm also going to push the deserts

further into the interiors where they

already exist on the opposite end of

this as I mentioned before as well a

seasonal monsoon would have come into

these lands sending moisture further

inland likely pushing the forests at the

equator deeper into the continent the

forests would likely extend all the way

to the central pangaean mountains but no

further making one side of the mountain

range extremely wet and rainy while the

other side dry and desert again we see

this today in places like India where

moisture is brought all the way up until

the Himalayas and the lands on the other

side like Tibet are extremely arid this

is called the rainshadow effect so the

equatorial forest would likely not have

crossed over the central pyncheon

mountains this also would have prevented

forests from moving too far into western

Pangaea lastly I'm going to place narrow

savanna regions around the edges of the

land as the ocean usually acts as the

moderating force for temperature and

humidity so in the end we get a map that

looks like this

and using this I can use satellite maps

to add a little texture and that's about

as good of a map as I can create without

any more information and the only better

method I can come up with is to collect

all the plant fossils dating back to

around this time determine what type of

environment these plants would have

grown in and used them to reconstruct

the landscape of Pangaea but something

like that is a job for more than just

one person and would actually require

pretty substantial collaboration so

that's where I'm going to need to stop I

hope you enjoyed this video and if you'd

like to keep seeing more like

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improve the map I made in this video

maybe if there's enough additional

things to look at I could make a follow

up other than that

thanks for watching