The surface of the Earth is a huge puzzle, where each piece is a tectonic plate that moves very slowly. As a result of such movements, earthquakes occur on the planet, mountain ranges grow, and continents slowly drift. Over millions of years, these processes caused landmasses to collide, forming supercontinents, writes JasonDeegan.

Approximately 335 million years ago, the Earth was dominated by the most famous supercontinent Pangea. Eventually it split into the continents we know. But Pangea was far from the first supercontinent, since before it there was Columbia (1.5 billion years ago) and Rodinia (750 million years ago).

Although continental movements may seem imperceptible from day to day, on geological time scales these shifts shape the very face of our planet.. Using seismic data and sophisticated geological modeling, scientists have begun sketching out what the next supercontinent might look like..

Predicting the exact location of continents a quarter of a billion years in the future is no easy task.. Variables such as plate speeds and plate interactions introduce a level of uncertainty that is difficult to predict. However, researchers have outlined four likely scenarios for the next supercontinent:.

Each of these scenarios paints a different picture of Earth's distant future, influenced by the complex and dynamic nature of tectonic movements..

Among the proposed models of Pangea, Proxima stands out for its detailed and compelling vision of the future of our planet.. According to this model, almost all of the current continents will collide, forming a single supercontinent shrouded in a vast ocean.. While some regions such as Scotland and New Zealand may remain isolated, most countries will find themselves close to unexpected neighbors.

South America merges with Africa, closing the Atlantic Ocean, while Europe moves north to neighbor what is now Asia. Such dramatic shifts will lead to entirely new geographic and geopolitical landscapes. This visualization is largely based on the work of paleogeographer K. Scotese, who painstakingly collected seismic data and geological models to create a comprehensive map of Pangea Proxima.

Let us recall how the sunken eighth continent on Earth appeared. Researchers have figured out how the continent split, but don't yet understand the force of nature that had a hand in it.