Wednesday, August 10, 2011

What do Texas and Antarctica have in common?

Texas and Antarctica seem like polar opposites with Texas known for its heat and Antarctica known for its cold.  The obvious answer to what Texas and Antarctica have in common is probably that they both have deserts.  However, new research shows that 1.1 billion years ago the areas that are now Texas and Antarctica had a whole lot in common, as they were connected.

Learning about the supercontinent Pangea is a regular part of grade school science class.  However, the continents have moved around and have been connected in different ways over the Earth's history.  Some of the most recent research shows that one of the past connections involved Texas and part of Antarctica being next to each other.  Evidence that links the two based on rocks with the same lead isotopes composition in the Franklin Mountains of Texas and the Coat Lands of Antarctica.  These rocks are part of the evidence to prove the theory that North America and East Antarctica were once connected as one supercontinent called Rodinia.

Learn more about this topic here.

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