Breakup of supercontinent Pangea cooled mantle and thinned crust
Tuesday, December 13, 2016 - 14:01
in Earth & Climate
The oceanic crust produced by the Earth today is significantly thinner than crust made 170 million years ago during the time of the supercontinent Pangea, according to researchers. The thinning is related to the cooling of Earth's interior prompted by the splitting of the supercontinent. The findings give a more nuanced view of the mantle temperature that influences tectonics on Earth.