Pangaea Flip Book Activity
1. Color, cut, and assemble your flip book using frames F1-F20. Frame F1
represents the Earth’s continents as they were 190 million years ago
(mya). Frame 20 represents the Earth’s continents as they look today.
The map is centered on the Prime Meridian. When you stack your flip
book, frame F1 should be on the top, and frame F20 should be on the
bottom.
2. What event began to occur about 190 million years ago?
3. In which frame did you locate the first appearance of the following
landmasses?
North America? ___________
Europe? ___________
India? ___________
Antarctica? ____________
Australia? ____________
4. In which frame did you notice the final breakup of Pangea? Why did you
chose that frame and not another?
5. List two landmasses that have collided. What do you think happens at
these locations?
6. List two landmasses that were once connected, but have separated.
What do you think happens at these locations?
7. Using selected frame sheets (Figure 2), color the land mass identified as
India today on each of the frames. Graph the changing position of India’s
landmass (distance from the equator by identifying the latitude of the
approximate center of India through time; the latitude scale on Figure 2A
should be used to estimate the latitude of India on each frame) over time,
using the provided graph paper (Figure 3). The equator is the horizontal
line on the maps in Figure 2.
8. Do you think that the climate of India has changed over the last 100 million
years? Explain your answer. What evidence would scientists look for to
prove this?
9. Repeat the activity from step 7 by measuring and plotting the opening of
the Atlantic ocean through time. Select two locations on opposite sides of
the Atlantic on Frame 20 of your flip book (present or 0 mya map).
Suggested points in the north Atlantic are: the northeastern US on the
east coast of North America and the Iberian peninsula (Spain) on the west
coast of Europe. Suggested points for the south Atlantic are the
easternmost point along the east coast of South America (eastern Brazil)
and the prominent indentation along the west coast of Africa near Nigeria.
10. Measure the distance between these points using the kilometer scale
provided on Figure 2A. Plot the distance between the two points, showing
the opening of the Atlantic through time, on the graph provided in Figure 4.
It will be easiest to work backwards (beginning with Frame 20) through
time. You should be able to recognize a separation between your two
points back to about 80 to 120 million years ago.
11. Calculate the approximate average speed (km/million years) for the
opening of the Atlantic inferred from your graph. Write your answer below.
How does this speed compare with typical plate velocities (1-15 cm/yr)
that are inferred for contemporary plate tectonic motions (you will need to
make a conversion between km/million years and cm/yr in order to make
the comparison)?
Voyage Through Time –A Plate Tectonics…
Page 14 of 16
Voyage Through Time -- Position of Indian landmass through time
90°N
60°N
Latitude
30°N
0°
Equator
30°S
60°S
90°S
0
200
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
100
Figure 3. Graph for plotting position (latitude) of a continent (India, for example) through time.
20 Frame #
0 Age
(millions of
years ago)
Voyage Through Time –A Plate Tectonics…
Page 16 of 16
Distance across the Atlantic Ocean (km)
Voyage Through Time -- Opening of the Atlantic Ocean
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
0
200
2
4
6
8
10
100
12
14
16
18
20 Frame #
0
Age
(millions of
years ago)
Figure 5. Graph for plotting distance between two continents through time as the Atlantic Ocean basin
opened.