Pannotia is the name given to a hypothetical supercontinent that existed from about 600 to about 540 mya. It was first described by Ian W.D. Dalziel in 1997. In geology, a supercontinent is a land mass comprising more than one continental core, or craton. ... In astronomy, geology, and paleontology, mya is an acronym for million years ago and is used as a unit of time to denote length of time before the present. ... 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

About 750 mya, the previous supercontinent Rodinia rifted apart into three continents: Depiction of Rodinia at time of initial breakup. ... In geology, a rift is a place where the Earths lithosphere is expanding. ...

• Protolaurasia (Protolaurasia broke apart and eventually reformed as Laurasia)
• The continent (craton) of Congo
• Protogondwana (all of Gondwana except the Congo craton and Atlantica)

Protolaurasia rotated southwards towards the south pole. Protogondwana rotated counterclockwise. Congo came between Protogondwana and Protolaurasia about 600 mya. This formed Pannotia. Laurasia is the overall name for the vast continent that was composed of Laurentia, Siberia, Baltica and parts of Asia. ... Laurasia is the overall name for the vast continent that was composed of Laurentia, Siberia, Baltica and parts of Asia. ... Laurasia was a supercontinent that broke off from the Pangaean supercontinent in the late Mesozoic era. ... Dymaxion map by Buckminster Fuller shows land mass with minimal distortion as only one continuous continent A continent (Latin continere, to hold together) is a large continuous land mass. ... A craton is an old and stable part of the continental crust that has survived the merging and splitting of continents and supercontinents for at least 500 million years. ... Pangea broke into the two supercontinents, Laurasia and Gondwana The southern supercontinent Gondwana (originally Gondwanaland) included most of the landmasses which make up todays continents of the southern hemisphere, including Antarctica, South America, Africa, Madagascar, India, Arabia, Australia-New Guinea and New Zealand. ... The Congo craton, covered by the Palaeozoic-to-recent Congo basin, is an ancient Precambrian craton that with four others (the Kaapvaal, Zimbabwe, Tazania, and West African cratons) makes up the modern continent of Africa. ... Atlantica was an ancient continent. ... Laurasia is the overall name for the vast continent that was composed of Laurentia, Siberia, Baltica and parts of Asia. ... Location of the South Pole in the Antarctic continent. ... Laurasia is the overall name for the vast continent that was composed of Laurentia, Siberia, Baltica and parts of Asia. ...

Pannotia was short-lived. The collisions that formed Pannotia were glancing collisions, and the continents composing Pannotia already had active rifting. By about 540 mya, or only about 60 million years after Pannotia formed, Pannotia disintegrated into four continents: Laurentia, Baltica, Siberia and Gondwana. Later, altered landmasses would recombine to form the most recent supercontinent, Pangaea. Laurentia is the craton at the heart of North America. ... Baltica is the craton beneath northwestern Eurasia. ... Siberia (Sometimes called Angara) is the craton located in the heart of the region of Siberia. ... Pangea broke into the two supercontinents, Laurasia and Gondwana The southern supercontinent Gondwana (originally Gondwanaland) included most of the landmasses which make up todays continents of the southern hemisphere, including Antarctica, South America, Africa, Madagascar, India, Arabia, Australia-New Guinea and New Zealand. ... Map of Pangaea Pangaea (Greek for all lands) is the supercontinent that existed during the Mesozoic era, before the process of plate tectonics separated the component continents. ...

Another term for the supercontinent that is thought to have existed at the end of Neoproterozoic time is "Greater Gondwanaland", suggested by Stern in 1994. This term recognizes that the supercontinent of Gondwana, which formed at the end of the Neoproterozoic, was once part of the much larger end-Neoproterozoic supercontinent. The Neoproterozoic is a period of time roughly from 1000 million years before the present to 544 million years before the present. ... 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ...

See also

• Pangaea
• Plate tectonics
• Geologic timescale
• Supercontinent cycle

Map of Pangaea Pangaea (Greek for all lands) is the supercontinent that existed during the Mesozoic era, before the process of plate tectonics separated the component continents. ... Plate tectonics (from the Greek word for one who constructs, τεκτων, tekton) is a theory of geology developed to explain the phenomenon of continental drift, and is currently the theory accepted by the vast majority of scientists working in this area. ... The geologic timescale is used by geologists and other scientists to describe the timing and relationships between events that have occured during the history of the Earth. ...

External link

• A picture about Pannotia according to Professor Christopher Scotese, Ph.D. (it is referred to as the late Precambrian Supercontinent in the image).