Dancing Tectonic Plates

When time is condensed and a million years takes a fraction of a second, you can see how the tectonic plates of the earth's crust make our world look like a living, breathing being. This animation goes back to 1.8 billion years, or about 40% of earth's history. The map looks familiar for just a second, then moves to form a supercontinent called Gondwana in the Southern Hemisphere. Further back, these plates form a bigger continent called Pangaea. But further back still, we see the earth as a collection of far-flung islands.

You'll have to watch more than once. Notice how India flies off Asia and heads closer to its origin at the South Pole. In each viewing, note the color of a present-day continent and follow it back to see where it was a billion years ago. This constant churning of the planet brings materials from the ocean floor and the earth's mantle to the surface, feeding our environment with the chemicals necessary for life. (via Damn Interesting)