The process of mountain building has shaped the continents for at least two billion years.
Our paper on "New models of global geological provinces and tectonic plates" was recently published in Earth-Science Reviews (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2022.104069). The shapefiles also include a model for the last orogeny to affect each geological province. Each orogeny represents a different geodynamic system, often defined by the closure of an ocean basin.
Orogenies are incredibly important to us as well as Earth's evolution. Geochemical cycles are modulated by the erosion of mountain belts and are a source of natural resources. Orogenies create natural barriers that provided shelter and safety for humans and multiply niches that enhance biodiversity. The mountains and landforms moulded by orogenies also inspire art and religion.
The video above gives a brief overview of 26 orogenies. It is really a glorified slideshow that highlights the scattered remnants of each orogen as it is today and its reconstructed location in the past. The models are derived from a literature review and validated with a geochronology database of igneous and metamorphic samples. Paleogeographic reconstructions of continent positions through time were also used to help identify the various geodynamic systems.
Some orogenies that are commonly discussed in the literature, e.g., Grenville and Pan-African Orogenies, have become so broad that they are almost meaningless. It is common to give orogens geographically meaningful names, though these are colloquially, rather than globally, relevant. To avoid these issue, we define a few new terms that do not carry the same baggage. I'm curious how this model will be received by the geologic community as some people can be quite entrenched in their views.