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The Next Supercontinent

Solving the Puzzle of a Future Pangea

Ross Mitchell

$49.95

Hardback

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English
Chicago University Press
17 August 2023
An internationally recognized scientist shows that Earth’s separate continents, once together in Pangea, are again on a collision course.

You’ve heard of Pangea, the single landmass that broke apart some 175 million years ago to give us our current continents, but what about its predecessors, Rodinia or Columbia? These “supercontinents” from Earth’s past provide evidence that land repeatedly joins and separates. While scientists debate what that next supercontinent will look like—and what to name it—they all agree: one is coming.

In this engaging work, geophysicist Ross Mitchell invites readers to remote (and sometimes treacherous) lands for evidence of past supercontinents, delves into the phenomena that will birth the next, and presents the case for the future supercontinent of Amasia, defined by the merging of North America and Asia. Introducing readers to plate tectonic theory through fieldwork adventures and accessible scientific descriptions, Mitchell considers flows deep in the Earth’s mantle to explain Amasia’s future formation and shows how this developing theory can illuminate other planetary mysteries. He then poses the inevitable question: how can humanity survive the intervening 200 million years necessary to see Amasia?

An expert on the supercontinent cycle, Mitchell offers readers a front-row seat to a slow-motion mystery and an ongoing scientific debate.

By:  
Imprint:   Chicago University Press
Country of Publication:   United States
Dimensions:   Height: 216mm,  Width: 140mm,  Spine: 25mm
Weight:   481g
ISBN:   9780226824918
ISBN 10:   0226824918
Pages:   304
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active

Ross Mitchell is professor at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. His supercontinent research has been covered by outlets including the New York Times, Scientific American, NPR Science Friday, and Science.

Reviews for The Next Supercontinent: Solving the Puzzle of a Future Pangea

Mitchell is the only person who could write this inviting and engaging book, which shares the thrill of scientific discovery. -- Brendan Murphy | St. Francis Xavier University A clear, accessible introduction to a 'super' significant topic-the supercontinent cycle-and to scientific study itself. -- Richard E. Ernst | Carleton University


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