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The climates of Earth’s next supercontinent: effects of tectonics, rotation rate, and insolation
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  • Michael Way,
  • Hannah Sophia Davies,
  • João C. Duarte,
  • Mattias Green
Michael Way
NASA/Goddard Institute for Space Studies

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Hannah Sophia Davies
University of Lisbon, Instituto Dom Luiz
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João C. Duarte
University of Lisbon, Instituto Dom Luiz
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Mattias Green
Bangor University
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Abstract

We explore two possible Earth climate scenarios, 200 and 250 million years into the future, using projections of the evolution of plate tectonics, solar luminosity, and rotation rate. In one scenario, a supercontinent forms at low latitudes, whereas in the other it forms at high \change{northerly}{northern} latitudes with an Antarctic subcontinent remaining at the south pole. The climates between these two end points are quite stark, with differences in mean surface temperatures approaching several degrees. The main factor in these differences is related to the topographic height of the high latitude supercontinents where higher elevations promote snowfall and subsequent higher planetary albedos. These results demonstrate the need to consider \change{alternative}{multiple} boundary conditions when simulating Earth-like exoplanetary climates.
Aug 2021Published in Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems volume 22 issue 8. 10.1029/2021GC009983