GPlates Timeline

> Globe.gl Timeline from GPlates

To create a continuous animation of Earth's tectonic history and future over ~10 million years, the best path is to export plate data from GPlates and animate it using Globe.gl in the browser. This method avoids needing to run GPlates inside the browser. Instead, GPlates is used offline to generate time-slice data files, which are then rendered interactively on the web using lightweight technologies like WebGL and JavaScript.

# Key Steps 1. Use GPlates desktop or pyGPlates to export plate boundary and coastline data at intervals — for example, every 1 million years. 1. Convert exported data to GeoJSON or TopoJSON, and associate each frame with a timestamp. 1. In Globe.gl, load the time-series data and interpolate between frames using the animation engine. 1. Implement a timeline slider or autoplay loop that morphs between frames smoothly. 1. Use Globe.gl's label, arc, and polygon layers to show other features like rifting, subduction, or hotspot trails. 1. Use hover or click events to link points on the globe to wiki pages — for example, opening an Article about Gondwana when tapping a specific region during the Jurassic.

## Performance Considerations To work on mobile and low-power devices: - Use simplified geometry (TopoJSON or decimated GeoJSON). - Use textures or canvas rendering when vector shapes are too complex. - Avoid too many dynamic layers — pre-render as much as possible. - Limit detail to the screen resolution required (e.g. 1080p for most mobile screens). - Precompute and cache animation frames or load them dynamically in segments.

## Continuous Integration Set up a CI pipeline that includes: - An automated data refresh from GPlates or published tectonic models. - A script (e.g. Python) to regenerate GeoJSON/TopoJSON at each keyframe. - A bundler (e.g. Rollup or Vite) to build the static animation site with Globe.gl. - Deploy to GitHub Pages or a CDN for embedding into wiki frames.

When new reconstructions are published, the data pipeline can be re-run and the timeline animation updated.

# See - Earth Timeline and Globe Sprint - Globe Video Guide and GPlates Timeline - Globe.gl and Hitchhiker Globe - Plate Tectonics