- published: 28 Mar 2015
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Pangaea, Pangæa, or Pangea ( /pænˈdʒiːə/ pan-JEE-ə;) was a supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras, forming about 300 million years ago and beginning to rift around 200 million years ago, before the component continents were separated into their current configurations. The single global ocean which surrounded Pangaea is accordingly named Panthalassa.
The name Pangaea is derived from Ancient Greek, pan (πᾶν) meaning "entire," and Gaia (Γαῖα) meaning "Earth." The name was coined during a 1927 symposium discussing Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift. In his book The Origin of Continents and Oceans (Die Entstehung der Kontinente und Ozeane), first published in 1915, he postulated that all the continents had at one time formed a single supercontinent which he called the "Urkontinent", before later breaking up and drifting to their present locations.
The forming of supercontinents and their breaking up appears to be cyclical through Earth's 4.6 billion year history. There may have been several others before Pangaea. The fourth-last supercontinent, called Columbia or Nuna, appears to have assembled in the period 2.0-1.8 Ga. Columbia/Nuna broke up and the next supercontinent, Rodinia, formed from the accretion and assembly of its fragments. Rodinia lasted from about 1.1 billion years ago (Ga) until about 750 million years ago but its exact configuration and geodynamic history are not nearly as well understood as the later supercontinents, Pannotia and Pangaea.
Closed off, we wake from the dusk only to step
out into open air, just to see the same clouds
opening. If this is a region people dream of,
insomnia is the only cure- the only antidote.
You've been deceived into thinking this is the
perfect life. It's an illusion to your perception.
You've been deceived. I wish time was still
ancient so I could bridge the gap between
here, between there, between you and I.
Frustration is setting in. I am seeing red. This
blessing is a curse. Counting all the things
that I took for granted. Counting down the
days. Watching the clock as it just stands still
to just sail away. Waiting for the morning that
takes me home, to take me home. All of this
is worth every penny- every cent. I would give
back everything just to be back home. This is
a bittersweet dream I've dreamt. Oh Pangaea,
where have you gone? I'm at all four corners
of this world. Oh Pangaea, what have you