Future of Earth

There will be changes affecting the Earth itself. In a few million years continental drift will change the map of the world. Antarctica will move away from the south pole and weathering will wear down the mountains. Together these changes will probably bring the present ice age to an end. Between ice ages the weather is warm all over the world and the continents are flat and largely covered by warm shallow seas.

The continents will certainly continue to drift in the future. Some scientists think that continental drift happens in cycles. They predict that over the next 250 million years the small continents will gather together once more into a supercontinent like Pangaea. This theory is not generally accepted.

Perhaps, in 250 million years, another ice age will begin.

The Earth will be destroyed when the Sun changes into a red giant, in about 4 billion years from now.

In the following pages we show a sequence of images of where the continents will be during the next 200 million years (my).

Earth 10 my in future

Image courtesy of TimeTrek

This is a prediction of where continental drift will carry the continents in the future. The further into the future you go, the less certain we are about what will happen.

This is part of a movie showing continental drift through history.

Earth 20 my in future

Image courtesy of TimeTrek

This is a prediction of where continental drift will carry the continents in the future. The further into the future you go, the less certain we are about what will happen.

This is part of a movie showing continental drift through history.

Earth 30 my in future

Image courtesy of TimeTrek

This is a prediction of where continental drift will carry the continents in the future. The further into the future you go, the less certain we are about what will happen.

This is part of a movie showing continental drift through history.

Earth 40 my in future

Image courtesy of TimeTrek

This is a prediction of where continental drift will carry the continents in the future. The further into the future you go, the less certain we are about what will happen.

This is part of a movie showing continental drift through history.

Earth 50 my in future

Image courtesy of TimeTrek

This is a prediction of where continental drift will carry the continents in the future. The further into the future you go, the less certain we are about what will happen.

This is part of a movie showing continental drift through history.

Earth 60 my in future

Image courtesy of TimeTrek

This is a prediction of where continental drift will carry the continents in the future. The further into the future you go, the less certain we are about what will happen.

This is part of a movie showing continental drift through history.

Earth 70 my in future

Image courtesy of TimeTrek

This is a prediction of where continental drift will carry the continents in the future. The further into the future you go, the less certain we are about what will happen.

This is part of a movie showing continental drift through history.

Earth 80 my in future

Image courtesy of TimeTrek

This is a prediction of where continental drift will carry the continents in the future. The further into the future you go, the less certain we are about what will happen.

This is part of a movie showing continental drift through history.

Earth 90 my in future

Image courtesy of TimeTrek

This is a prediction of where continental drift will carry the continents in the future. The further into the future you go, the less certain we are about what will happen.

This is part of a movie showing continental drift through history.

Earth 100 my in future

Image courtesy of TimeTrek

This is a prediction of where continental drift will carry the continents in the future. The further into the future you go, the less certain we are about what will happen.

This is part of a movie showing continental drift through history.

Earth 110 my in future

Image courtesy of TimeTrek

This is a prediction of where continental drift will carry the continents in the future. The further into the future you go, the less certain we are about what will happen.

This is part of a movie showing continental drift through history.

Earth 120 my in future

Image courtesy of TimeTrek

This is a prediction of where continental drift will carry the continents in the future. The further into the future you go, the less certain we are about what will happen.

This is part of a movie showing continental drift through history.

Earth 130 my in future

Image courtesy of TimeTrek

This is a prediction of where continental drift will carry the continents in the future. The further into the future you go, the less certain we are about what will happen.

This is part of a movie showing continental drift through history.

Earth 140 my in future

Image courtesy of TimeTrek

This is a prediction of where continental drift will carry the continents in the future. The further into the future you go, the less certain we are about what will happen.

This is part of a movie showing continental drift through history.

Earth 150 my in future

Image courtesy of TimeTrek

This is a prediction of where continental drift will carry the continents in the future. The further into the future you go, the less certain we are about what will happen.

This is part of a movie showing continental drift through history.

Earth 160 my in future

Image courtesy of TimeTrek

This is a prediction of where continental drift will carry the continents in the future. The further into the future you go, the less certain we are about what will happen.

This is part of a movie showing continental drift through history.

Earth 170 my in future

Image courtesy of TimeTrek

This is a prediction of where continental drift will carry the continents in the future. The further into the future you go, the less certain we are about what will happen.

This is part of a movie showing continental drift through history.

Earth 180 my in future

Image courtesy of TimeTrek

This is a prediction of where continental drift will carry the continents in the future. The further into the future you go, the less certain we are about what will happen.

This is part of a movie showing continental drift through history.

Earth 190 my in future

Image courtesy of TimeTrek

This is a prediction of where continental drift will carry the continents in the future. The further into the future you go, the less certain we are about what will happen.

This is part of a movie showing continental drift through history.

Earth 200 my in future

Image courtesy of TimeTrek

This is a prediction of where continental drift will carry the continents in the future. The further into the future you go, the less certain we are about what will happen.

This is part of a movie showing continental drift through history.