Definitions by thealtf4psychic
Pannotia
A very short lived supercontinent. It formed in the beginning of the Ediacaran period of the Proterozoic Eon, but broke apart as Laurentia rifted away from the rest of the supercontinent. It broke apart even before the Phanerozoic Eon and the Cambrian period. Not so well-known although is one of the only interesting things that happened during the Ediacaran period.
Bob reading out loud from a website: 630 million years ago, Pannotia formed.
Kate: Pannotia? Do you mean Pangea?
Bob: The Ediacaran supercontinent, not the Permian one.
Kate: I thought the only supercontinent was Pangea!
Bob: How about this?
Bob reading out loud from a website again: Pannotia was the result of supercontinent Rodinia turning inside out 720 million years ago.
Kate: ...
Kate: Pannotia? Do you mean Pangea?
Bob: The Ediacaran supercontinent, not the Permian one.
Kate: I thought the only supercontinent was Pangea!
Bob: How about this?
Bob reading out loud from a website again: Pannotia was the result of supercontinent Rodinia turning inside out 720 million years ago.
Kate: ...
Pannotia by thealtf4psychic April 5, 2021
Eon
If you have learned anything about the geologic time scale, you know the biggest components are the four eons. They can span from just over 500 million years to almost 2 billion years! Most of the eons are subdivided into smaller eras. The eons are: the Hadean Eon, the Archean Eon, the Proterozoic Eon, and the Phanerozoic Eon, which we currently live in.
According to paleontologists, eons don't refer to any long time, but they refer to the four eons in the geologic time scale.
Eon by thealtf4psychic March 31, 2021
Proterozoic Eon
Comprising of the Paleoproterozoic, Mesoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic Eras, This eon spans from 2.5 billion years ago to 541 million years ago lasting almost 2 billion years.
During the beginning of this eon, cyanobacteria rapidly reproduced and photosynthesized turning a lot of carbon dioxide to oxygen. This oxygen reacted with the iron in the oceans, filling the oceans with iron rust BIFs, turning the oceans blood red. Later, there was no longer enough iron to hold onto the oxygen, and it escaped into the atmosphere. That oxygen formed the ozone layer. Nearly all of the carbon dioxide turned into oxygen, turning earth into a snowball earth.
The snowball earth quickly recovered after 300 million years. Then, supercontinent Columbia formed. For the next billion years, climate remained notably stable. This period of time from 1.8 billion years to 800 million years ago was called "The boring billion". During this period, supercontinent Rodinia formed, but broke apart. The rocks that became exposed sucked up more carbon dioxide from volcanoes, turning earth into a second snowball earth.
After that recovered, the two halves of Rodinia reunited around the South Pole forming supercontinent Pannotia. However, it broke apart during the end of the eon just as animals started to appear, as Laurentia rifted away from the rest of the supercontinent. Finally, the End-Ediacaran extinction event took place to end the eon.
During the beginning of this eon, cyanobacteria rapidly reproduced and photosynthesized turning a lot of carbon dioxide to oxygen. This oxygen reacted with the iron in the oceans, filling the oceans with iron rust BIFs, turning the oceans blood red. Later, there was no longer enough iron to hold onto the oxygen, and it escaped into the atmosphere. That oxygen formed the ozone layer. Nearly all of the carbon dioxide turned into oxygen, turning earth into a snowball earth.
The snowball earth quickly recovered after 300 million years. Then, supercontinent Columbia formed. For the next billion years, climate remained notably stable. This period of time from 1.8 billion years to 800 million years ago was called "The boring billion". During this period, supercontinent Rodinia formed, but broke apart. The rocks that became exposed sucked up more carbon dioxide from volcanoes, turning earth into a second snowball earth.
After that recovered, the two halves of Rodinia reunited around the South Pole forming supercontinent Pannotia. However, it broke apart during the end of the eon just as animals started to appear, as Laurentia rifted away from the rest of the supercontinent. Finally, the End-Ediacaran extinction event took place to end the eon.
Imagine living during the middle of the Proterozoic Eon! There would be no plants, no animals, just water, land and bacteria!
Proterozoic Eon by thealtf4psychic March 30, 2021