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+--- Thread: Rodinia (/showthread.php?tid=2629)
Rodinia - FlickerOfLight - 03-07-2025
https://portal.gplates.org/static/html/rodinia.html
I’d never heard of Rodinia until I stumbled across it recently. I’ve always known about Pangaea, that giant supercontinent that existed around 300 million years ago and broke apart to form the continents we recognize today. But it turns out that Pangaea wasn't the first supercontinent to exist. Before it, there was Rodinia, and it’s fascinating how it shaped the earth's history long before Pangaea ever came to be.
Rodinia existed somewhere between 1.1 billion and 750 million years ago, long before the dinosaurs roamed. The name "Rodinia" itself comes from the Russian word "родина," meaning "homeland," hinting at the idea that it might have been the origin of the landmasses we know now. Scientists believe it formed when a bunch of smaller landmasses and cratons (the stable cores of continents) came together. It was a supercontinent, but one that was very different from Pangaea in both its size and structure. Unlike the more familiar continents we know today, Rodinia didn’t break apart with distinct, clear boundaries—it fragmented in a more chaotic way, which makes studying it tricky.
The breakup of Rodinia is one of the most interesting parts of its story. It’s thought that the supercontinent eventually split apart because of tectonic forces, though it wasn't a clean break like Pangaea. Instead, it led to the formation of several smaller landmasses that would later become part of the continents we know today. This process, over millions of years, created vast changes in Earth's geography and climate. In fact, the separation of Rodinia is thought to have played a significant role in the snowball Earth hypothesis, which suggests that Earth may have gone through a period of extreme glaciation, possibly freezing nearly all of its surface.
So, while Pangaea tends to get all the glory in discussions about Earth's ancient continents, Rodinia is an important precursor to it, shaping the planet’s surface in ways we’re still uncovering. It's wild to think how, even though we’re familiar with the modern continents, the landmasses we walk on today are really just the result of ancient processes that happened over billions of years. Learning about Rodinia is like uncovering another layer of Earth’s ever-evolving history.
https://allthatsinteresting.com/grand-canyon-tasmania
Now scientists have discovered a hidden "Grand Canyon" in Tasmania, a remarkable geological feature that has remained concealed for millions of years. This stunning canyon, known as the "Pieman River Canyon," was uncovered by researchers using advanced LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology. The canyon stretches over 20 kilometers in length and plunges to depths of up to 400 meters, making it one of the most significant geological discoveries in the region. Despite being right under the noses of locals, it had never been noticed before due to dense forest cover and rugged terrain, which makes the area hard to explore.
The canyon's formation dates back around 15 million years, shaped by the slow erosion of the surrounding land and the powerful forces of the Pieman River. What's particularly fascinating is that the canyon's remote location has preserved a snapshot of Tasmania's ancient landscape, offering clues to how the region's topography evolved over millions of years. Some of the surrounding rock formations suggest that this area may have once been part of a much larger, continuous landmass, possibly linking Tasmania to mainland Australia during prehistoric times.
In addition to its geological significance, the Pieman River Canyon also offers a unique opportunity to study Tasmania's biodiversity. Researchers believe that the canyon's secluded environment may have fostered the development of species found nowhere else in the world. Given its remote nature, it could contain undiscovered plant and animal life that has been isolated for millennia.
Speculating about the implications of this discovery, one might wonder if the canyon’s geological features could be a direct link to the lost supercontinent of Rodinia. Formed around 1.3 billion years ago, Rodinia is believed to have once connected much of the Earth's landmasses, including what would eventually become Australia, Antarctica, and parts of South America. The Pieman River Canyon’s ancient rock formations may hold clues to this colossal landmass’s breakup, offering insight into how the continent fractured and drifted apart over time. The canyon's layers, with their complex geological history, could provide evidence of tectonic shifts and the forces that led to the eventual separation of Rodinia into the continents we recognize today. This discovery raises the tantalizing possibility that more remnants of Rodinia’s once-massive landforms are still hidden beneath the Earth’s surface, waiting to be uncovered.
RE: Rodinia - Michigan Swamp Buck - 03-07-2025
Cool, sounds like at least one lost world may be left.
Quote:Ride captain ride upon your mystery ship,
On your way to a world that others might have missed.
- Blues Image
Kind of reminded me of the islands that fell from space, the Slate Islands near the top of Lake Superior, south of Terrace Bay, Ontario.
Michigan Chronoscope