The Hot Blob Headed for New York City

GERMAN METEOROLOGIST ALFRED Wegener proposed the theory of continental drift more than a century ago, in 1912.

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According to the theory, the continents we know today were once connected, forming one big “supercontinent” called Pangea. The theory explains why continental coasts align like puzzle pieces and why fossils from certain species are found in vastly different places.

Experts suggest that the supercontinent began breaking apart around 200 million years ago—a timeline that has been widely accepted as geological history for decades. But an international research team may be challenging that notion. A study published in the journal Geology suggests that a giant, hot blob split Greenland from North America 80 million years ago—and now, the blob is heading toward New York City.

“This thermal upwelling has long been a puzzling feature of North American geology,” lead author of the study Tom Gernon said in a press release. “Our research suggests it’s part of a much larger, slow-moving process deep underground that could potentially help explain why mountain ranges like the Appalachians are still standing.”