Wilson Cycle

The Wilson Cycle is a model that describes the opening and closing of ocean basins and the subduction and divergence of tectonic plates during the assembly and disassembly of supercontinents.

[3] In the 21st century, insights from seismic imaging and other techniques have led to updates to the Wilson Cycle to include relationships between activation of rifting and mantle plumes.

Various parts of the modern day Atlantic Ocean opened at different times over the Mesozoic to Cenozoic periods following the Wilson Cycle.

Seafloor spreading in the central Atlantic Ocean likely occurred around 134-126 Ma on Pan-African Orogenic and Rheic sutures.

The 50-year retrospective in the Geological Society of London Special Paper 470[4] provides an excellent nuanced view of how these concepts fit together.

Phases of Wilson cycle: From ten o'clock position clockwise: (10) initial pre-drift extension, (12) rift-to-drift phase, initial opening of an oceanic basin, (2 and 4) seafloor spreading, widening of the basin, (6) subduction of oceanic lithosphere, closure of the basin, (8) continent-continent collision
A depiction of the Wilson Cycle in action. The continents are drifting apart and coming together in a cyclical fashion as shown. The Atlantic Ocean is shown to be formed from the separation of Pangaea. It was preceded, however, by the Iapetus Ocean .