What caused the breakup of Pangaea?

The breakup of Pangaea, the supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras, was primarily caused by rifting. Rifting occurs when the continental crust breaks apart, leading to the formation of new ocean basins and the movement of continental landmasses away from each other. This geological process is associated with tectonic activity, where forces within the Earth’s lithosphere cause the crust to fracture.

During the time of Pangaea, the rifting began when the forces acting on the tectonic plates created cracks in the continental crust. As the rifting progressed, segments of Pangaea gradually separated, leading to the formation of the Atlantic Ocean and the emergence of the continents as we know them today. This process involved the upwelling of magma, which created new oceanic crust and contributed to further plate movement.

While processes like plate tectonics, subduction, and seafloor spreading do play significant roles in the dynamics of Earth's lithosphere and in the movement of continents, they are not the primary cause of the initial breakup of Pangaea. Rifting specifically refers to the breaking apart of the crust, making it the correct context for understanding how Pangaea transitioned into the current