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The Next Supercontinent: Solving the Puzzle of a Future Pangea Kindle Edition

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 18 ratings

An internationally recognized scientist shows that Earth’s separate continents, once together in Pangea, are again on a collision course.

You’ve heard of Pangea, the single landmass that broke apart some 175 million years ago to give us our current continents, but what about its predecessors, Rodinia or Columbia? These “supercontinents” from Earth’s past provide evidence that land repeatedly joins and separates. While scientists debate what that next supercontinent will look like—and what to name it—they all agree: one is coming.

In this engaging work, geophysicist Ross Mitchell invites readers to remote (and sometimes treacherous) lands for evidence of past supercontinents, delves into the phenomena that will birth the next, and presents the case for the future supercontinent of Amasia, defined by the merging of North America and Asia. Introducing readers to plate tectonic theory through fieldwork adventures and accessible scientific descriptions, Mitchell considers flows deep in the Earth’s mantle to explain Amasia’s future formation and shows how this developing theory can illuminate other planetary mysteries. He then poses the inevitable question: how can humanity survive the intervening 200 million years necessary to see Amasia?

An expert on the supercontinent cycle, Mitchell offers readers a front-row seat to a slow-motion mystery and an ongoing scientific debate.


From the Publisher

mitchell, next supercontinent

mitchell, next supercontinent

mitchell, next supercontinent

mitchell, next supercontinent

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Geological puzzles don’t get bigger than unravelling the choreography of continents since Earth’s childhood. It takes bold thinking, and reconciliation of hard-won field data with computer models of our planet’s interior, to figure out the lay of the land hundreds of millions of years ago. Ross Mitchell draws on his own cutting-edge research to explain how Earth’s heat engine works, and what ancient configurations of land and sea—vastly different from today’s map—meant for the atmosphere, climate and, crucially, the evolution of life. It’s a gripping story, vivaciously told, of prescient scientists, perilous fieldwork, and the amazing ways in which geology empowers us to situate humanity in the context of billions of years of Earth history, and to ground speculation of how the next billion might play out." -- Clive Oppenheimer | author of "Eruptions that Shook the World"

"Ross Mitchell provides a cinematic view of Earth over billion-year timescales, showing how the slow-motion dance of the continents has a deep underlying logic that makes it possible to predict geographies of the distant future." -- Marcia Bjornerud | author of "Timefulness: How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Help Save the World"

“Mitchell is the only person who could write this inviting and engaging book, which shares the thrill of scientific discovery.” -- Brendan Murphy | St. Francis Xavier University

"The world is like a giant clock, with enormous tectonic gears of seemingly infinite complexity. That clock will keep ticking long after we humans are extinct, and Ross Mitchell, watchmaker, lets us see far into that future: an amazing Amasia." -- Peter Ward | author of "Rare Earth: Why Complex Life is Uncommon in the Universe"

“A clear, accessible introduction to a ‘super’ significant topic—the supercontinent cycle—and to scientific study itself.” -- Richard E. Ernst | Carleton University

"An engaging insider’s story of geological discovery and insight at a grand scale—the unification and fragmentation of supercontinents over geologic time, and why such behavior is repeating, yet changing. This first-hand account reads like
The Double Helix, but with mountains for molecules." -- Paul Hoffman | Harvard University

"This lovely book, though, is a story of how quickly we are changing what it is we know, how we think, and how we think about how we think. And what it is we value most. None of our descendants will survive long enough to see any practical effects of tectonic change. The reshaping of the continents will not matter to our species. We will not be there. We are not an especially careful mammal. If we are lucky, maybe we have a million years to go, maybe even two. But this book is not about that. It is ultimately about science, as the new religion of our times, and how we think of eternity. It is about us, and what we are becoming." -- Danny Dorling ―
Resurgence & Ecologist

"Although Mitchell’s destination is the distant future, don’t be fooled. His book is as much a romp through the past as it is a look ahead, complete with references unique to the present....Throughout the book, Mitchell’s clear explanations and carefully chosen images help make sense of even the most complicated concepts." ―
Science News

"Locked in rocks, mountains, and oceans lies evidence of an ancient, active earth. Subduction, plate tectonics, and volcanic activity continually reshape continents. . . . [Those] interested in geology and geophysics will appreciate Mitchell’s compelling vision and research." ―
Booklist

About the Author

Ross Mitchell is professor at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. His supercontinent research has been covered by outlets including the New York Times, Scientific American, NPR Science Friday, and Science.

You know you're narrating a character right when your children grab your arm and say, "Daddy . . . read the bad guy normal, you're scaring us with the voice." Aside from reading villains in storybooks really well, Derek Shoales has worked on corporate, eLearning, and commercial voice-over projects, been a graphic/web designer and an inventory market mentor, sung bass to baritone in choirs, and played the guitar, electric violin, and Clare whistle.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BY5M642R
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ The University of Chicago Press (May 24, 2023)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 24, 2023
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 6213 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 287 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 18 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
18 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2024
    Very interesting subject matter. It was written in a way that is easy to understand. After finishing the book, I went out in my back yard and found a fossil embedded in sandstone. Talk about instant feedback.
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2023
    This book presents wonderful information on how supercontinents form and break apart.
    I was very pleased with all the new information it contained.
    The author, however, should have stopped two chapters before he did.

    One chapter dealt with how/if we would survive the next supercontinent. What will happen to all the people living on the Eastern Seaboard when it slammed into South America. Well, since this will take 200 million years to happen, I think we might just have plenty of time to adjust.
    The last chapter dealt with Climate Change, how it is all our fault, and golly wasn't Obama (?) just the most wonderful person of all time.

    So, if you rip out the last two chapters, the book is a wonderful description of how
    supercontinents form and what the next one will look like. The last two chapters show what happens when an author goes wandering out of his field of knowledge.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2023
    This is a lovely book. Michy does an excellent job telling stories about how geological research is done to solve Earth's mysteries. I particularly enjoyed the stories about the oldest Supercontinent, Nuna.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2023
    I've always found Rodinia more fascinating than Pangea. And the superoceans more fascinating than the supercontinents. (This book doesn't have a lot of content on the superoceans.)
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2023
    I highly recommend Ross's new book, whether you are a college student interested in geology or a geology expert. Although I am quite familiar with the current arguments regarding the shape of each supercontinent, I learned so much about the histories behind these arguments. Ross also thinks systematically, connecting various fields in Earth Sciences, which significantly broadened my horizons. In addition, Ross shares his own life stories of how to become a true geologist, making the book exceptionally enjoyable to read.
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2023
    It's rare to have an engaging popular portrayal of the current science written by a scientist involved in the research. That's what we have here - connected to story that spans 100s of thousands of years. Learned a lot and glad I read this.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2023
    The strong points of the book are that Ross Mitchell shows how the study of geology works and, indeed, discusses the process of science to a certain degree. I enjoyed the personal anecdotes and Mitchell comes across as a good storyteller and very personable writer. I thought that the maps added great value to the story. But outside of the anecdotes, I did not find the writing compelling and some of the information was over my head as the book turned out to be more technical than I expected. But I feel that people with greater knowledge of geology will love this book. Thank you to Edelweiss and University of Chicago Press for the digital review copy.
    4 people found this helpful
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