A Phanerozoic Atlas of Earth’s Atmosphere, Surface, and Interior Derived from the PANALESIS Plate Tectonic Model

Florian Franziskakis , Niklas Werner, Christian Vérard, Sebastien Castelltort , Grégory Giuliani

Reconstructing the Earth system evolution through deep time requires spatially consistent, multi‑layer datasets that integrate geological, geophysical, and climatic information. Here we present a unified, high‑resolution (10×10km) global dataset describing the Earth’s evolution over the past 545 million years. This atlas provides 45 time slices spanning the Phanerozoic, each including quantified palaeogeography, seafloor age, crustal thickness, lithospheric thickness, and climate variables (surface air temperature, precipitation, and climate zones). All layers are generated using a consistent reconstruction framework based solely on the PANALESIS plate tectonic model, ensuring self consistency and reproducibility across the entire record.

Surface and interior layers are computed from physically based relationships linking palaeogeography, crustal structure, tectonic domain boundaries, and seafloor thermal evolution. Climate simulations are produced using the intermediate complexity AOGCM PLASIM–GENIE, forced by time‑dependent palaeogeography, atmospheric CO2, and solar luminosity. Technical validation against present‑day reference datasets demonstrates strong agreement for seafloor age, palaeogeography, and crustal structure, and captures first‑order spatial patterns in lithospheric thickness and climate fields.

This atlas enables a broad range of applications, including paleoclimate modelling, biodiversity and biogeographic analyses, tectonic and geodynamic studies, and long‑term surface process modelling. All datasets and code are openly available, ensuring transparent reuse and straightforward integration into Earth system modelling and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) workflows. The PANALESIS Atlas establishes a comprehensive, fully quantified baseline for investigating Earth’s coupled surface–interior–atmosphere evolution across the Phanerozoic.