The Earth’s surface has been in constant motion for billions of years, driven by plate tectonics. This slow, continuous process has periodically brought all major landmasses together into a single, colossal landform called a supercontinent. The most recent of these unified landmasses was Pangea. Scientists have worked to reconstruct the precise placement of every modern continent and territory within its ancient boundaries. For Greenland, an island situated between North America and Europe, understanding its position in Pangea reveals a deep history of continental connections.
Understanding the Pangea Supercontinent
Pangea, meaning “all earth” in Greek, was the last great supercontinent to form, assembling from previous continental blocks during the late Paleozoic Era. Consolidation was largely complete by the Carboniferous period, approximately 335 million years ago, creating a single massive landform surrounded by the global ocean known as Panthalassa. This immense configuration persisted for tens of millions of years, profoundly influencing global climate and biological evolution.
The supercontinent began its slow fragmentation during the early Mesozoic Era, with the first major rifting commencing around 200 to 180 million years ago. This initial separation established two primary landmasses that would continue to drift apart. The northern continent was named Laurasia, while the southern mass was called Gondwana.
Laurasia contained what would later become North America, Europe, and most of Asia. Gondwana comprised South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia, and the Indian subcontinent. This initial split represented the first major step in the continental drift that ultimately led to the seven continents we recognize today.
Greenland’s Neighbors in the Ancient Landmass
Greenland’s position was firmly within the northern supercontinent of Laurasia, occupying a juncture between two major continental blocks. When Pangea was fully assembled, Greenland was wedged in the seam that would eventually become the northern North Atlantic Ocean. It was positioned directly against the eastern coast of North America and the western edge of Europe.
The western and southwestern coastlines of Greenland were connected to the eastern margin of the North American craton, which includes modern-day Canada. The ancient rocks of the Greenland landmass were a continuous part of the North American tectonic plate, a relationship that persists today. This connection ran along the path now occupied by the Davis Strait and Baffin Bay.
On its eastern and southeastern sides, Greenland was attached to the northwestern parts of Europe, encompassing Scandinavia and the British Isles. The joining of these two continental blocks formed a continuous land area across the high northern latitudes. Greenland linked the ancient continental cores of North America and Europe.
The breakup of Pangea involved the progressive rifting and opening of the North Atlantic Ocean, separating Greenland from Europe and North America. The formation of the Labrador Sea, followed by the Norwegian Sea, created the geographical features that now isolate Greenland. Studying the alignment and “fit” of the continental shelves suggests this tight placement within the Pangean structure.
Geological Evidence of the Connection
The evidence supporting Greenland’s former connection to North America and Europe is found in the matching geology across the Atlantic Ocean gap. A primary line of evidence is the correlation of ancient mountain belts that were once a single, continuous chain. The Appalachian Mountains (North America), the Caledonian Mountains (Greenland), and the mountains of Scandinavia are all remnants of the same massive orogenic event.
This continuous mountain range, formed by the continental collisions that created Pangea, is known as the Central Pangean Mountains. When the continents are reassembled, the ancient rock structures and folding patterns of these mountain systems align perfectly. The Caledonian mountain chain runs through eastern Greenland, continuing the geological structure found in Scotland and Norway to the east and the Appalachians to the west.
Further verification comes from paleomagnetic data, which analyzes the orientation of magnetic minerals preserved in ancient rocks. As continents drift, the magnetic alignment of their rocks changes relative to the magnetic poles, creating a unique magnetic “signature.” Scientists use this data to calculate the past latitude and orientation of continental blocks.
When paleomagnetic data from North America, Greenland, and Europe is plotted, it only makes sense when the three landmasses are positioned adjacent to one another. This alignment provides a robust, quantitative confirmation of the topographical “fit” suggested by the coastlines and matching rock types. These lines of geological evidence confirm Greenland’s ancient role as a link between the North American and European sectors of Laurasia.