Supercontinent Pangea was preceded by the formation of Gondwana, a “megacontinent” about half the size of Pangea. There is much debate, however, over what role the assembly of the precursor megacontinent played in the Pangean supercontinent cycle. Here we demonstrate that the past three cycles of supercontinent amalgamation were each preceded by ~200 m.y. by the assembly of a megacontinent akin to Gondwana, and that the building of a megacontinent is a geodynamically important precursor to supercontinent amalgamation. The recent assembly of Eurasia is considered as a fourth megacontinent associated with future supercontinent Amasia. We use constraints from seismology of the deep mantle for Eurasia and paleogeography for Gondwana to develop a geodynamic model for megacontinent assembly and subsequent supercontinent amalgamation. As a supercontinent breaks up, a megacontinent assembles along the subduction girdle that encircled it, at a specific location where the downwelling is most intense. The megacontinent then migrates along the girdle where it collides with other continents to form a supercontinent. The geometry of this model is consistent with the kinematic transitions from Rodinia to Gondwana to Pangea.
Research Article|
November 25, 2020
The role of megacontinents in the supercontinent cycle
Chong Wang;
Chong Wang
1
State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China2
Deparment of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
Search for other works by this author on:
Ross N. Mitchell;
Ross N. Mitchell
1
State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
Search for other works by this author on:
J. Brendan Murphy;
J. Brendan Murphy
3
Department of Earth Sciences, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia B2G 2W5, Canada
Search for other works by this author on:
Peng Peng;
Peng Peng
1
State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
Search for other works by this author on:
Christopher J. Spencer
Christopher J. Spencer
4
Department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 2N8, Canada
Search for other works by this author on:
Geology (2020)
Article history
received:
06 Jun 2020
rev-recd:
01 Oct 2020
accepted:
05 Oct 2020
first online:
25 Nov 2020
Citation
Chong Wang, Ross N. Mitchell, J. Brendan Murphy, Peng Peng, Christopher J. Spencer; The role of megacontinents in the supercontinent cycle. Geology 2020; doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G47988.1
Download citation file:
Close
data&figures
Data & Figures
contents
Contents
georef
GeoRef
supplements
Supplements
references
References
related
Related
Data & Figures
Contents
GeoRef
Supplements
References
Related
Citing articles via
Related Articles
Large-Scale Fluid Transfer between Mantle and Crust during Supercontinent Amalgamation and Disruption
Russian Geology and Geophysics
T – Goldschmidt Abstracts 2013
Mineralogical Magazine
X – Goldschmidt Abstracts 2013
Mineralogical Magazine
Related Book Content
17. Evolution and major features of the Early Precambrian crust of the East European craton
East European Craton: Early Precambrian History and 3D Models of Deep Crustal Structure
Characteristic thermal regimes of plate tectonics and their metamorphic imprint throughout Earth history: When did Earth first adopt a plate tectonics mode of behavior
When Did Plate Tectonics Begin on Planet Earth?
Proterozoic accretionary belts in the Amazonian Craton
4-D Framework of Continental Crust
Tectonic map of the southern and central Appalachians: A tale of three orogens and a complete Wilson cycle
4-D Framework of Continental Crust
Anatomy and global context of the Andes: Main geologic features and the Andean orogenic cycle
Backbone of the Americas: Shallow Subduction, Plateau Uplift, and Ridge and Terrane Collision
Geodynamic evolution of the northwestern Paleo-Gondwanan margin in the Moroccan Atlas at the Precambrian-Cambrian boundary
The Evolution of the Rheic Ocean: From Avalonian-Cadomian Active Margin to Alleghenian-Variscan Collision