Polar Impact Hypothesis v2.0: Atlantis as the Proto-Arctic Supercontinent — Axial Impact, Plate Tectonic Origin, and Antipodal Antarctic Formation

This paper presents Version 2.0 of the Polar Impact Hypothesis (PIH), substantially expanding the original framework (Katayama, 2026a; DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.20746259) with four integrated propositions: (1) Earth's rotational axis was originally parallel to its orbital plane (0° obliquity), as in the current configuration of Uranus; (2) a massive bolide impact on the proto-Arctic supercontinent — identified here as the physical origin of the Atlantis legend — caused both the destruction of that continent and the tilting of Earth's rotational axis to its current ~23.5°; (3) the impact energy initiated plate tectonic motion from a previously static crust; and (4) antipodal shock dynamics (hammer shock) caused upward crustal deformation at the geographic South Pole, forming the Antarctic continent as a compression uplift feature. These four propositions form a unified catastrophist framework connecting planetary axial mechanics, the origin of plate tectonics, the Atlantis legend, and Antarctic geology under a single causal event. Six falsifiable predictions are offered for evaluation by the geological and planetary science communities.