Figure 1 - Supercontinents

1.2. Pangaea

Like its predecessor Pannotia, the giant continent of Pangaea also became victim to the Earth’s internal heat. According to Alfred Wegener, Pangaea which was surrounded on all sides by extensive water mass called Panthalasa, began to split around 200 million years ago. Pangaea broke into two large continental masses Laurasia and Gondwanaland forming the northern and southern components respectively. Subsequently, Laurasia and Gondwanaland continued to break into various smaller continents that exist today.