The authors acknowledge their prediction has a high level of uncertainty due to the ultra-long-term timeframe, but they hope the study, which was initiated during the pandemic lockdown, will provide useful insights into past mass extinction events and the possible habitability of other planets.

Pangea Ultima is just one possible projection of what Earth’s supercontinent could look like once the plate tectonics come together.

'The newly-emerged supercontinent would effectively create a triple whammy, comprising the continentality effect, hotter sun and more CO2 in the atmosphere, of increasing heat for much of the planet,' said Dr Farnsworth.