GPlates is open-source software for visualizing and modeling tectonic plate movements over geological time. It allows users to animate Earth's surface from the present to hundreds of millions of years ago, showing the drifting of continents, creation of ocean basins, and the dynamic evolution of the planet.
It is developed and maintained by the EarthByte research group at the University of Sydney. You can download the software and explore datasets through the official site
gplates.org 
The software supports: - Reconstruction of past plate positions - Visual overlay of geological and geophysical data - Time-slider animation playback - Export of high-resolution time slices for video or further use
GPlates can be controlled via its graphical user interface or programmatically using Python through a library called pyGPlates.
# Project Background GPlates has been used by researchers to create public-facing animations like the "Billion Years in 40 Seconds" video that shows the formation and breakup of supercontinents.
The EarthByte group regularly collaborates with other research institutions such as the University of Adelaide and publishes global tectonic models based on geological and geophysical evidence.
# Key Contributors The project is led by Professor Dietmar Müller at the University of Sydney. Other contributors include Sabin Zahirovic and Andrew Merdith, who have worked on major reconstructions and animations used in education and research.
# Why It Matters for Hitchhiker The Hitchhiker project can benefit from GPlates by integrating historical reconstructions into its visual storytelling system. This includes: - Exporting animated sequences of continental drift - Creating simplified interactive reconstructions - Providing context for climate, species evolution, and geography over time.
GPlates supports exporting static frames and vector data which could be layered into tools like Globe visualizations or Planet timelines in Hitchhiker.
# Next Steps
To explore GPlates further, visit:
- gplates.org
- portal.gplates.org
- earthbyte.org
# See
- Globe Sprint
- Globe.gl and GPLates
- Hitchhiker Globe and Earth Timeline
- Plate Tectonics
- GPlates - onetab