{"id":130138,"date":"2023-11-24T15:26:57","date_gmt":"2023-11-24T15:26:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/?post_type=definition&p=130138"},"modified":"2023-11-24T15:26:57","modified_gmt":"2023-11-24T15:26:57","slug":"ancient-earth-globe","status":"publish","type":"definition","link":"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/ancient-earth-globe","title":{"rendered":"Ancient Earth Globe"},"content":{"rendered":"

What Is Ancient Earth Globe?<\/span><\/h2>\n

The Ancient Earth Globe<\/a> is a unique interactive tool that shows how Earth looked at different times, from 750 million years ago to the present. You can use it to travel back in time and see the evolutionary changes in our planet, like when the first plants or dinosaurs appeared.<\/p>\n

Developed by Ian Webster<\/a> and hosted on DinosaurPictures.org<\/a>, it features paleogeographic maps by C.R. Scotese of the PALEOMAP Project<\/a> and combines scientific data with digital technology to present a dynamic view of Earth’s past.<\/p>\n

It highlights significant events like the formation of the first coral reefs, the emergence of various life forms, and the creation of huge landmasses like Pannotia and Pangea. The maps are pretty accurate, up to about 100 km, and use colors to show different land heights and water depths.<\/p>\n

Origin and Development of Ancient Earth Globe<\/span><\/h2>\n

The Ancient Earth Globe, created by former Google engineer Ian Webster in July 2015, is an innovative tool designed to make understanding Earth’s geological history both accessible and engaging. Using Christopher Scotese’s geological models, which map the Earth’s plate tectonic movements over 750 million years, Webster’s application provides a detailed view of our planet’s evolution since the time green algae first appeared in the oceans.<\/p>\n

This interactive web application<\/a> also integrates GPlates<\/a> software<\/a>, commonly used in geology, to visualize plate tectonic shifts. A standout feature of this tool is its ability to personalize the experience: users can enter their current location and see its place in historical geological contexts, like where New York City was during the era of the Pangea supercontinent.<\/p>\n

This function effectively connects users to the ancient past of their own locales, enhancing the learning experience.<\/p>\n

Ancient Earth Globe Examples<\/span><\/h2>\n

The Ancient Earth Globe on DinosaurPictures.org shows us how places like Washington, D.C., looked millions of years ago. For example, 600 million years back, during the Ediacaran Period, Washington D.C. was at the edge of a huge, icy continent next to an ocean. It was a completely different world from today.<\/p>\n

\"Ancient<\/p>\n

Jump to 220 million years ago, in the Middle Triassic Period, when Washington D.C. was far from any ocean and surrounded by land that would become Western Sahara and Mauritania. This was the time when the first dinosaurs appeared.<\/p>\n

\"Ancient<\/p>\n

Then, around 170 million years ago, in the Jurassic Period, Washington D.C. split away from Africa, with a new ocean forming between them.<\/p>\n

\"Ancient<\/p>\n

This period was famous for dinosaurs such as:<\/p>\n