Geological Map of the World and its Reconstruction

This third edition of the Geological Map of the World at the scale of 1:50,000,000 (1:50 M) follows the first and second editions published by the CGMW respectively in 1990 and 2000. It is a tentative and (very) simplified representation of the entire solid surface of our planet and includes both continental and oceanic domains.

Two virtual globes have been created. In the present-day globe, the geological map is draped over srtm15_plus topography data. In the reconstruction globe, the geological map has been reconstructed back in time using GPlates.

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View Present-day Geological Map of the World in 3D Globe

View the Reconstruction of Geological Map in 3D Globe

References:

• Bouysse, Philippe and colleagues at Commission for the Geological Map of the World. 2010. Geological map of the world: scale 1: 35 000 000 . CGMW.
The reconstructions are primarily based on this plate model:
• Seton, M., Müller R.D., Zahirovic, S., Gaina, C., Torsvik, T., Shephard, G.E., Talsma, A., Gurnis, M., Turner, M., and Chandler, M., 2012, Global continental and ocean basin reconstructions since 200 Ma, Earth Science Reviews, 113, 212–270
with modifications in the circum-Arctic region from:
• Shephard, G.E., Müller, R.D. and Seton, M., 2013, The tectonic evolution of the Arctic since Pangea breakup: Integrating constraints from surface geology and geophysics with mantle structure, Earth Science Reviews, 124, 148-183, 2013.
and modifications in the Indian Ocean from:
• Gibbons, A.D., Zahirovic, S., Müller, R.D., Whittaker, J.M., Yatheesh, V., 2015, A tectonic model reconciling evidence for the collisions between India, Eurasia and intra-oceanic arcs of the central-eastern Tethys, Gondwana Research, 28, 451-492.