Ancient Jigsaw Puzzle of Past Supercontinent Revealed

Scientific Computing ^ | Fri, 07/05/2013 - 3:28am | Royal Holloway, University of London

[Flag_This]

"I can think of no reason why fossil fuels should occur near a break."

If you've ever watched documentaries like "One Million Years B.C." you would see that when the earthquakes occurred, the dinosaurs always fell into the resultant cracks. Science.

[NormsRevenge]

Anything is possible, once upon a time and all, strata belie strata.. no recorded history has clue what came before , or what will come.

[bleach]

It’s a good thing Columbus didn’t live back then. Such a long trip to discover where you’ve been.

[freedumb2003]

Best dang movie documentary EVAH!

[Zuse]

Neal Adams is a lot more entertaining than those “serious” scientists who believe one land mass broke up, with the pieces swimming around like sperms looking for an egg.

[DannyTN]

LOL, Of course!

[Flag_This]

" Best dang movie documentary EVAH! "

Well, right after "Quest for Fire."

[freedumb2003]

Well, right after "Quest for Fire."

How could you forget the Discovery-level "you are there" drama:

[Flag_This]

"How could you forget the Discovery-level "you are there" drama:"

I try to limit myself to hard science films.

[freedumb2003]

>>I try to limit myself to hard science films.<<

Wait... what? Huh?

Ringo ISN’T a paleontologist?

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

While continental connections can be inferred by shape, what really solves the puzzle is geology. That is, if the shapes are roughly the same, do the mineral deposits where the two shapes meet, match?

For example, if there is a vein of quartz that dead ends on one side, is there a vein of quartz that dead ends on the other side? A two dimensional match of shape is one thing, but a three dimensional match is pretty conclusive.

[Strategerist]

Doesn't that argue against oil and gas being "fossil" fuels and more for substances naturally produced by a break. I can think of no reason why fossil fuels should occur near a break.

The shallow seas in an area where there's a new continental rift are perfect places for the plankton that forms oil deposits to build up in sediments. The oil deposits aren't directly caused by the rifting process.

[Strategerist]

Gondwana is the Southern part of Pangea; Gondwana formed firstbefore the full Pangea formed, and when Pangea broke up Gondwana hung around for a long time as a "sub" supercontinent before Gondwana broke up.

And there were supercontinents preceding Pangea, including Rodinia; before Rodinia things are a bit hazy and there's some debate over exactly what was going on.

[Noob1999]

..................Well, right after “Quest for Fire.”..............

Hho ah toho an hmm sisee eg who-tat-wah!

(Great flick!)

[DannyTN]

I meant to say “caused by the earth”,not “caused by the rift”. Your explanation is plausible.

[Flag_This]

"Hho ah toho an hmm sisee eg who-tat-wah!"

There was a thread yesterday about some people trapped in a tree by some tigers - made me think of the scene with the saber-tooth cats. Sadly, I couldn't find a decent picture to post.

[canuck_conservative]

the plankton that forms oil deposits

Does the plankton form all the sulfur in the oil too?

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks null and void.

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[SunkenCiv]

Thanks null and void.

[null and void]

Yeah. Panexa.