New Supercontinent "Amasia" Will Form in 200 Million Years, Pacific Ocean Will Close —Simulation Shows

In a computer simulation, a research team predicted that in 200 million years, all of the continents of the world will coalesce into one single new supercontinent known as "Amasia." According to new research from Curtin University, Amasia is most likely to form when the Pacific Ocean, the oldest among oceans, closes in 200 to 300 million years.

With the use of a supercomputer, the team simulated the formation of a supercontinent and discovered that since the Earth has been cooling down for billions of years, the strength and thickness of the plates under the oceans have decreased over time. This makes it more challenging for the next supercontinent to form by sealing the "young" oceans, like the Atlantic or Indian oceans.

Supercontinent Cycle

The new findings, according to the study's lead author Dr. Chuan Huang of Curtin's Earth Dynamics Research Group and School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, were important and offered new insights into what would happen to Earth over the next 200 million years.

The supercontinent cycle, which has occurred over the past 2 billion years as a result of the collision of Earth's continents, was described by Huang. This indicates that the present-day continents will likely reunite in a few hundred million years.

Because some people think that when America collides with Asia, the Pacific Ocean will close instead of the Atlantic and Indian oceans. This will result in a new supercontinent that has already been given the name Amasia. Australia is anticipated to play a part in this significant Earth event as well, initially colliding with Asia before connecting America and Asia after the Pacific Ocean closes.

The Pacific Ocean is Shrinking and Will Close

The team was able to disprove some prior scientific theories by simulating how the tectonic plates of the Earth are predicted to evolve using a supercomputer, and they were able to demonstrate that in less than 300 million years, it is likely that the Pacific Ocean will close, permitting the formation of Amasia.

The Panthalassa super ocean, which began to form 700 million years ago when the former supercontinent began to disintegrate, is now only the Pacific Ocean. It is the oldest ocean on Earth, having shrunk from its total size since the age of the dinosaurs. Its size is currently decreasing by a few centimeters each year, and it will take between 200 and 300 million years for it to close to its current size of about 10,000 kilometers.

The Earth's ecosystem and environment would be significantly altered if one continental mass dominated the entire planet, according to study co-author and John Curtin professor Zheng-Xiang Li, who is also a member of Curtin's School of Earth and Planetary Sciences.

Li claimed that when Amasia emerges, Earth will be radically altered. The sea level is anticipated to be lower, and the supercontinent's vast interior is predicted to be extremely arid with wide daily temperature variations.

Li is intrigued to consider what the planet might look like in about 200 to 300 million years because Earth currently has seven continents with wildly diverse ecosystems and human cultures, Phys Org reports.