Scientists predict that North America and Asia might collide to form next supercontinent on Earth

Today, we currently have seven continents, but an intriguing future lies ahead for our planet.

Geophysicist Ross Mitchell has recently released his book titled “The Next Supercontinent,” where he delves into not only the past but also the distant future, speculating about Earth’s appearance when all its continents eventually merge into a single vast landmass.

Mitchell takes us on a fascinating journey through time, exploring how continents have come together in the past to form supercontinents. We start around 300 to 200 million years ago with Pangaea, a lush world teeming with dinosaurs, centered on present-day Africa.

Venturing further back in time, we encounter Rodinia, a billion years ago, a desolate landmass that included much of today’s North America and Greenland. And even further back, two billion years ago, there was Columbia, which some scientists believe was the first supercontinent centered around Siberia.

Understanding the movement of continents requires meticulous investigation. Scientists collect rock samples through fieldwork and determine their age and latitude when they were formed.

The formation and breakup of supercontinents are closely tied to the behavior of the “solid but pliable” mantle, the layer between Earth’s crust and core that stores immense heat.

According to Mitchell’s book, the movement of continents occurs as heat rises in the mantle, causing continents to move towards cooler regions. This movement leads to the collision of continents, eventually giving rise to a new supercontinent.

However, when heat starts to accumulate beneath the massive continent, it begins to break apart, creating new oceans and initiating another cycle.

Drawing from knowledge of the past and understanding mantle mechanics, Mitchell predicts that “Amasia” will be the next supercontinent. Contrary to some theories suggesting it could form from the closing of the Pacific or Atlantic oceans, Mitchell argues that Amasia will emerge through the disappearance of the Arctic Ocean. According to his prediction, Amasia will form by the merger of North America and Asia.

Nonetheless, whether Mitchell’s predictions about Amasia are accurate remains a question that none of us will live long enough to answer. The realization of Amasia will be left for future generations to explore and discover.