Editing Proterozoic (section)

==Supercontinent tectonic history==

<gallery>
File:Paleoglobe NO 1590 mya-vector-colors.svg|[[Columbia (supercontinent)|Columbia]], about 1,590&nbsp;[[Million years ago|Mya]]
File:Rodinia 900Ma.jpg|[[Rodinia]], about 900&nbsp;Mya
File:Pannotia.svg|[[Pannotia]], 545&nbsp;Mya (disputed{{clarify|date=June 2023}}), centered on South Pole
File:Gondwana 420 Ma.png|[[Gondwana]] 420&nbsp;Mya, centered on South Pole
</gallery>

Evidence of collision and rifting between continents raises the question as to what exactly were the movements of the Archean cratons composing Proterozoic continents. [[Paleomagnetism|Paleomagnetic]] and geochronological dating mechanisms have allowed the deciphering of Precambrian Supereon tectonics. It is known that tectonic processes of the Proterozoic Eon resemble greatly the evidence of tectonic activity, such as [[orogenic belt]]s or [[ophiolite]] complexes, we see today. Hence, most geologists would conclude that the Earth was active at that time. It is also commonly accepted that during the Precambrian, the Earth went through several supercontinent breakup and rebuilding cycles ([[Wilson cycle]]).<ref name=Kearey/>

In the late Proterozoic (most recent), the dominant supercontinent was [[Rodinia]] (~1000–750&nbsp;Ma). It consisted of a series of continents attached to a central craton that forms the core of the North American Continent called [[Laurentia]]. An example of an orogeny (mountain building processes) associated with the construction of Rodinia is the [[Grenville orogeny]] located in Eastern North America. Rodinia formed after the breakup of the supercontinent [[Columbia (supercontinent)|Columbia]] and prior to the assemblage of the supercontinent [[Gondwana]] (~500&nbsp;Ma).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Condie |first1=K. C. |last2=O'Neill |first2=C. |year=2011 |title=The Archean-Proterozoic boundary: 500&nbsp;my of tectonic transition in Earth history |journal=[[American Journal of Science]] |volume=310 |issue=9 |pages=775–790 |doi=10.2475/09.2010.01 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2010AmJS..310..775C|s2cid=128469935 }}</ref> The defining orogenic event associated with the formation of Gondwana was the collision of Africa, South America, Antarctica and Australia forming the [[Pan-African orogeny]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Huntly |first=C.|year=2002 |title=The Mozambique Belt, Eastern Africa: Tectonic evolution of the Mozambique Ocean and Gondwana amalgamation |publisher=[[The Geological Society of America]] }}</ref>

[[Columbia (supercontinent)|Columbia]] was dominant in the early-mid Proterozoic and not much is known about continental assemblages before then. There are a few plausible models that explain tectonics of the early Earth prior to the formation of Columbia, but the current most plausible hypothesis is that prior to Columbia, there were only a few independent cratons scattered around the Earth (not necessarily a supercontinent, like Rodinia or Columbia).<ref name=Kearey/>