A Vision of Earth 250 Million Years from Now Shows a Hostile World… Except for a Lucky Few (Spoiler: France Is One of Them)

Geologist Christopher Scotese imagines Earth 250 million years into the future with a new supercontinent called "Next Pangaea." The result? A sweltering world — but surprisingly, France could be one of the few habitable places left.

A Supercontinent in the Making: Disappearing Oceans, Shifting Borders

A few years ago, American geologist Christopher Scotese launched an ambitious project to map Earth's geography over the past billion years. Through the PALEOMAP Project, he produced a startling projection of our planet 250 million years from now. The core idea: the formation of a new supercontinent, first dubbed “Ultimate Pangaea,” then renamed “Next Pangaea” (Pangea Proxima).

According to his hypothesis, the Atlantic Ocean is destined to vanish, with the Americas steadily drifting toward Africa and Eurasia. At the same time, the Indian Ocean would become an inland sea. Thus, the current continents would reunite, much like during the era of the original Pangaea. This tectonic reshaping would radically alter global geopolitics: Cuba would fuse with the United States, Korea would be wedged between China and Japan, and Greenland would join with Canada.

France Among the Few Habitable Zones on the New Supercontinent

In this extreme scenario, France — assuming it still exists as a political entity — would occupy a central geostrategic position. With the Mediterranean Sea gone, it would lie closer to North Africa, while shifting into a more temperate zone of the globe. As a result, it might share new borders with Morocco, Algeria, or Tunisia, in addition to its current neighbors.

However, this new configuration would come with massive climate upheaval. Intense volcanic activity would unleash a spike in atmospheric CO₂, triggering a sharp rise in global temperatures. In most of the Next Pangaea, peak temperatures would soar above 40°C (104°F), alongside a 2.5% increase in solar luminosity.

Nevertheless, France’s northern position would place it among the few regions where life could remain viable — an unexpected climate refuge in a world turned into a furnace.

A Geological Process That Never Stops

Christopher Scotese has since dropped the term “Ultimate Pangaea,” deeming it too final. He now prefers “Next Pangaea,” emphasizing that tectonic plate movement will not end there. After this supercontinent forms, it will eventually break apart again, initiating another cycle of continental rearrangement.

In short, this futuristic vision may not concern us directly, but it serves as a powerful reminder: Earth is a living, ever-changing planet. And sometimes, the regions that seem secondary today may well become the safe havens of tomorrow.