The current configuration of planet Earth is the result of large-scale geological activity that has spanned hundreds of millions of years, as part of the so-called supercontinent cycle. According to plate tectonics theory and a prediction made by geologist Christopher Scotese, within the next 250 million years the continental crust will change in such a way that there will be a new supercontinent, Pangea Próxima, whose development can now be simulated thanks to technology.
If we had a time machine that could take us 300 million years into the past and see Earth from a nearby orbit, we would discover the supercontinent Pangea. Experts tell us it took just over 100 million years to begin fracturing, giving rise to the continental configuration we know today. However, the process did not stop. In fact, it is a long, slow cycle that joins and disperses the continental crust. Before Pangea there was Pannotia, and before that supercontinent formed Rodinia. Now, what happens if we go in the other direction? What awaits our planet for the next 250 million years? Let's see...
Pangea Próxima
If we follow plate tectonics theory and the hypothesis of geologist Christopher Scotese, what comes next is Pangea Próxima, formerly called Pangea Última, but Scotese decided to replace Última to avoid conveying the idea that it would be "the last supercontinent".
If I interpret the animation accurately, the American continent will continue its westward movement and then "steal" a piece of Asia. Two very interesting movements will be led by Oceania, which will join Asia, and the Antarctic continent, which will "collide" with western Oceania.
The final shape of Pangea Próxima could also create an inland sea, something that did not happen in the case of Pangea. Scotese acknowledged in a 2000 NASA interview that Pangea Próxima is basically a fantasy, but it presents a very interesting exercise that allows us (to a certain extent) to calculate what might happen.
